This is a Civ Quest where you are a race of bird-people called the Valki. Think 'harpies'. Guide these stone-age fantasy creatures to their destiny!
I hope you enjoy it!
This is a Civ Quest where you are a race of humanoid bird people called the Valki. Think 'harpies'. I hope you enjoy it.
The place where the gods of the nascent world met is not really a place in the way you or I think of it. It does not have a location, color, scent or temperature. And yet it exists, a blankness for the gods to project themselves into, cut off from everything else. A mingling, or confluence, perhaps. A neutral domain belonging to none, where their great work could be set in motion and arbitrated.
They debated for endless eons and no time at all, building a lifeless world together, to their collective image. Each god made their own contributions and objections, absolutely insisting on a certain thing being included or being opposed at all costs to another deity's suggestion. The early world was a tumultuous place, molten rock scarring the landscape at times, while airless void struck the world at others. Luckily, they resisted the urge to place any living thing there until the world was more or less settled and decided on.
Kan, as patient and measured as always, said to all the others: "Lo, the great Rules which bind the new world are struck. We shall each place some of our hand-crafted people in this new world. We shall not step into the world ourselves- Indeed, we have architected it so that such an action would surely trap the one who did so. Any of us who unduly interfere will have a portion of themselves bound and limited until the end of the world."
They were interrupted by Vail. Manic and compassionate, their voice swings wildly in pitch. "And so it is our creations that are being tested, my friends! Our own powers and cleverness are not the thing contested here, but instead the people we throw into this world, the ones we damn to pain and suffering and struggle... What our poor children accomplish will be the measure of the world. I hope they surprise me!"
"Not so," Uval interrupted. "Not entirely. For the Rules allow us to whisper into our peoples' minds when certain conditions are met. We will have a method of guidance, however crude. Our creations and planning will dominate this contest, but our own wisdom shall enter into it as well."
"Contest. Contest? You can have your competition, Uval. Silly as it is to pit everyone against each other when variety is the true treasure of any world, hm? What will you declare victory for - when your people have killed all the others? Do you wish to have the greatest temples and stories? Or something else? Isn't all that pointless? We're gods." Senys laughed and laughed as Uval stoicly ignored them.
Nuum stands silent, simply listening to the others. As always. They stare 'down' at the colorful people sleeping in the cool white mists of dream and unbeing. (Metaphorically, of course, as the place the gods met was not really a location, strictly speaking.)
And thus the Gods created the world, and the first people awoke...
The People simply woke up one day, knowing how to speak, how to move, how to eat and drink... And not much else. They stared around in wonder, at the earth and sky and plants and animals. But firstly, at themselves. They wondered at their bodies, moving around and appreciating the beauty in others they could see.
And then they heard the voice of God, booming over the landscape. God told them that they and their kin had created the world. God named the people and identified itself, and then intoned, "Go forth and do as you wish."
[] Kan, creator of the Kwern. Their thick and powerful legs thump as they form a great circle and stand silent when others speak.
[] Vail, creator of the Valki. They preen their feathers and take to the skies, clumsily gliding on untested wings, but learning quickly.
[] Uval, creator of the Malan. They compare the size of their horns and the strength of their limbs, shouting and competing already.
[] Senys, creator of the Shuurs. They admire each others' strong and dexterous tails and limber hands and feet, chattering away loudly.
[] Nuum, creator of the Luwai. They move slowly at first, considering their glittering scales and long, flexible fingers and toes.
Choose your species.
Hello all. This is my attempt at a new Civ Quest, this time with a pre-defined cast of gods and rules for magic that I won't bend from (but you still have to discover). Starting a new Civ Quest sounds fun, and without any of the crazy different kinds of magic to keep track of I can hopefully avoid the confusion and frustration that killed my old Civ Quest.
Mechanics will be very similar to the previous quest, especially early on. You have to decide which species to be. None of them are explicitly human, though they're all humanoid. The gods depict themselves as genderless, or try to at any rate.
The First People were placed into the world as adults, but everything was new and exciting to them. In that respect they were a little bit like children.
Some ran to each other and shouted about how pretty each others' feathers were, preening themselves and each other and cooing about how good a well-groomed wing or crest feels, and how nice it is to have someone else touch you. Some curiously picked at the dirt and twigs and grass and stones on the ground with their sharp-taloned feet and the clumsy hands at the ends of their long upper limbs. A few screamed at each other for the sheer novelty of it! The strange emotions that shouting or being shouted at welled up, anger and discomfort, were confusing and new, just like excitement and relaxation and jealousy and compassion and everything else.
Some found colorful and soft or firm shapes on the plants - nuts, berries, edible roots -and were seized by a strange urge to put them in their mouths. Having discovered the joy of eating, they gorged themselves. Some ran up and down the rocky slope they found themselves on, feeling the wind in their faces and flaring their wings. They clawed into the air briefly only to become unstable and tumble and fall a moment later. And that is how the Valki discovered pain.
Pain was bad, that was immediate and obvious. The one who tumbled badly down the scree slope had no name yet, as only a few of the Valki had names. His wing was bent gruesomely, and he shouted in pain, unable to think clearly and unable to keep quiet. Many of the Valki swarmed around, their voices a cacophony of confusion and panic. Even those who had left to explore or forage returned, drawn to the sounds of pain and fighting. Worried. Disgust at the sight of a person in pain and annoyance at the unpleasant screaming warred with the immediate and obvious desire to help.
But nobody had any idea what to do! A few Valki wanted to feed the injured one in case that helped, but he was writhing around too much. Some others said they should push the wing back into shape, and moved forward to do this, but as soon as they touched the injury his screams got even worse! The second group suddenly found themselves being pushed away, wings thumping into them and talons threatening to pierce them!
The shouting grew even louder as two groups fought over a crippled man, disagreeing on how to help him. Voices keened in anger as the two groups faced each other, shouting insults and threats.
"You will hurt him more, flophead! We will hurt you if you try!"
"You idiots, food won't help! His wing is wrong! If we have to push you away to help him we will!"
Like magic, a space cleared as the crowd backed off, uncertain about what was happening. The arguing groups stood across from each other and continued to trade insults as the injured Valk lied still on the ground, breathing hard, growing too exhausted to scream. Each side had a leader and a few followers. The leaders' voices were the loudest, and each follower would repeat or rephrase what the leader said. They flared their arms up as high as they could in anger, clawed at empty air flapping for balance, as a threat. Onlookers shouted and jeered, more flocking to the two lines of angry avians with every moment.
But just as things seemed to be coming to a breaking point, another Valk made a dramatic entrance. She had managed to take to the air, and made a dramatic entrance, stumbling to a landing between the two shouting groups with a loud scream of, "LISTEN!"
She stands and composes herself, shining white and blue feathers covering most of her body, leaving only a few patches of bare skin near her back and belly. She was long-limbed and colorful, with a small beak and deep, round brown eyes. Everyone would surely agree that she was one of the most beautiful of the new People.
She sang, piercing notes at a very high pitch ringing through the air until more Valki were paying attention to her than to the fight. "Everyone! I name myself Wisla Highnote. Listen to me! We should not fight. We all wish to help the injured one, and that is good! We do not know how, and that is bad! But this? The shouting and arguing and caw-caw-caw-caw- No! You are just being angry! If you want to hurt each other, strike me." The squabblers hesitated, jumping in surprise as one. She turned to one group. "Do you truly wish to injure them? Will you break their wings and legs, causing more of the very thing you wish to fix?"
"No! We will push them out of the way so we can help, that's all!"
"We have sharp talons. If you push and strike, if you fight, you will break more wings. I know this with a certainty. Perhaps there will be times when fighting is appropriate, but this is not one of them! I refuse to have the first fight in the world be over how to help someone in pain! Instead, we will do both things. We will help him by trying to feed him, and we will help him by trying to shape his wing correctly."
"But that just hurts him worse-!"
"It's obvious we must do something. And I don't see any reason we cannot do both things, one at a time. We have already wasted more time with this shouting than it would take to do these things!" Wisla Highnote flares her wings. "No! You have all acted like idiots! So now I am telling everyone what we will do. You will all listen!"
Something about her attitude and voice quelled all arguments. Wisla had shamed the angry crowd into compliance, a state made all the more effective by the fact that it was the very first time any of them had felt that emotion.
They tried to help the crippled man, squeezing soft berries into his mouth and holding him still with the weight of a dozen light Valki while another tried to move the shattered bones in his wing back into the correct shape... But it was hopeless. They could only watch as the man who had never even picked a name for himself, weakened more and more, fell unconscious... And died.
And thus the Valki learned about Death, too, on the very first day on the new world.
Wisla Highnote moved quickly, her voice never silent for more than a moment or two. Everything was new, and strange, and some things were dangerous, and seeing the dead man was... Not pleasant. She felt like she did not truly understand. Vail, God, had created the whole world. Created them. And then someone is ended, just like that. As fast as a clack of the talons. For trying to fly and landing badly.
She felt a wave of fear and grief in her gut. It could have been anyone. It could have been her! And yet, she took to the air to keep the others from fighting. She had felt petrified in that moment. Utterly terrified that she would land badly, that nobody would listen, that they would insult her, or fall upon her and break her. And yet she moved at that moment. She acted. She could have done nothing else.
...She was still afraid.
Wisla did not have the presence of mind to do anything but herd everyone away from the dead man. As far away as possible. The whole group of people took long strides across the rocky slopes, following her. They were all watching her. Listening to her. With everyone so afraid and uncertain... She had shouted like she knew what to do. The others listened because they thought she knew what to do.
She chokes back a noise of despair. She doesn't know what to do. She has no idea at all. But she has to act like she does now. Forever. Or everyone else will be afraid and start fighting again.
Her commands are simple, obvious things. Go find kinds of food. Tell everyone else what kinds of food you found and where. Don't try to fly.
That night, Wisla Highnote hears a voice while she sleeps. The world of dreams shows her God, in the shape of an otherworldly Valk. Tall, powerful, wings of smoke and sparkle and eyes that pierce the very self. She found herself unable to speak, her mind bound up in the helpless inaction that dreams sometimes cast. She was overwhelmed with emotion as Vail spoke, dominated by awe.
"I am Vail, my child. Wisla Highnote. I am sorry you had to face such sorrow. On your very first day in this beautiful world, too! Woe, woe. But you have done well. You are leading and giving the people a direction. It is a good thing, and you are brave for doing it. I will teach you the things you must know to thrive on future nights. But tonight, my lesson is only this: He is gone from this world. His end was painful and ugly. But he is not obliterated and unmade. He continues, dreaming with me until the end of the world. All Valki who die will join me."
"But it is still worthy of grief and sadness. I am vaster and wiser than you know, and you will come to me when you die, so you would do well to listen and obey. My command is this: You must mourn the dead. You must do something when a person dies, lest the grief overwhelm and leave the people insensate. It is to send them to me, and to remember, and to be mournful and then move on."
The next day, Wisla herded all the people back to the place where that poor man had died.
"This man had no name. He is dead and gone now. But the God who created us and spoke to us yesterday spoke to me while we all slept. This man's body is dead, but his mind has left the world and gone to Vail! We should be sad. He is a friend we will not have, now. I spoke to him yesterday, he was brave! He suffered greatly and for no good reason. He is dead. But he is not gone forever. We should destroy this empty shell, remember him with song, mourn and be sad, and then live on!"
Wisla Highnote led the whole of the People in a beautiful song, voices varying in tone and carrying great sadness. She prepared the words beforehand, but it was simple. The song spoke of a careless and free first flight, of the sheer joy of being alive. It spoke of incomprehension and pain and death. It spoke of sadness, shouting and grieving, and then moving on. The dead move on to Vail, and the living move on with their lives.
There was crying as Wisla had people thoroughly shred the 'empty shell', scattering it across the ground. But the undercurrent of fear and tension was gone. When she spoke to people, they no longer muttered fearfully, asking her for guidance or giving her small gifts instead.
Over the next year, she led the people from place to place, exploring the vast world that had been created for them. Everything was new, everything was a learning experience. Vail's dreams told her many things about the people and the world: How later in the year men and women would begin to desire another kind of contact with attractive others, and the women would lay eggs which hold new Valki inside them if this was done. How simple clothes and tools could be created from carved wood, woven grasses, or certain stones. How the weather would change and become cold as the seasons flew by, and that the people must have enough food to eat during those hard days. She learned to build mud huts and fires, nests for the eggs that would come soon enough. She learned that there were other gods and other kinds of people somewhere in the world...
And then Vail stopped teaching her. She knew that the god had much more learning and knowledge it could impart. Her ability to read others extended that far even on a deity. But Vail went silent, and Wisla Highnote was left to lead her people into the future alone. For everyone listened to her with little hesitation, as the undoubtedly wisest among them and the one who received whispers from God.
Years passed rapidly after that. There was wandering and exploration and wonder. There was sickness and injury, cold and drought. There was new life as the first eggs hatched and the Valki raised their children, the most precious things in the whole world.
Where did Wisla Highnote have the people build their first village?
[] On dry, high cliffs where their ability to fly was extremely useful.
[] To the south, near a thick and dark forest bountiful with things to eat.
[] In an area of rolling hills where strong winds blew and a river snaked nearby.
The village of Feathergrass Hill was built in the shadow of one of the larger hills in the region, chosen, if one was honest, simply because it looked like a good spot. Covered in the soft and broad grass that gave it its name, the view from the top of the hill was beautiful. Lush grasses and shrubs on gentle slopes were all around, and the Slithering River wound through patches of trees along its banks to one side. Such a sight was peaceful and relaxing.
The village was built in the wind-shadow of a particularly tall hill with a relatively steep 'back' side. Something about the shape of the hill disrupted the wind, making it so you could leave your clothes out and they wouldn't be blown away. A necessary thing for a place where the people would live permanently. It was an excellent place to practice flying, too. The side of the hill that faced where the wind usually blew from was a long, shallow slope covered in feathergrass. Between the soft surface and easy landing, it was probably the best place in the world to crash into.
Most days would see a few enormous shapes powering through the air. To one of the hunting or gathering or wood-cutting camps in the morning to work, or looking for the large grass-eating animals that were obvious from the air, or to deliver a quick message, perhaps. Or even simply because it was fun! Once in a while, dozens and dozens of people would fly up and down Feathergrass Hill, singing and laughing as they flow. Even racing or trying dangerous, flashy tricks, sometimes!
While all the oldest People remembered the sickening sight of Broken Wing, who fell and died on his very first flight... Taking to the air was a primal joy for most, a rush of freedom like nothing else in the world. The dreadful fear of landing badly and being crippled melted away like snow under the spring sun when air was beneath your wings and singing through your feathers. Soaring into the sky and viewing the world from above was a joyous thing, even if it was very exhausting to keep up for long.
The people could fly, but compared to the incredibly small and light birds that shared the sky with them, they were incredibly clumsy, extremely fast, and very powerful, thundering through the air with more momentum than an entire flock of sparrows combined. Flight required planning and managing your speed and energy. One could not simply flap their wings and claw through the air, and they quickly began to understand and theorize about the methods and styles of flight.
Those who hunted animals and fought tended to be mostly men, and men tended to be more reckless, so it was surprising that the ones who enjoyed flying the most and spent their free time practicing tricks were usually women.
The whole of the people stayed together. Anyone who went off on their own quickly grew lonely and fearful, and did their best to return to the group. A few times, small bands formed plans to split off and go somewhere else, unsatisfied with something or other. Each time, Wisla Highnote felt the discontent brewing and changed whatever needed changing to divert it.
A loose collection of mud huts with thatched grass roofs had sprung up around the hill soon enough, scattered across the ground like tossed seeds. A few for storing food, a few for storing tools, some for work-places to do crafts like weaving, some for the eggs that would be laid each year, and many for sleeping and resting in. There was little organization beyond making sure each building had a lot of space around it - the Valki found being cramped or crowded unnerving at best, so Wisla had forbidden building the huts too close to each other. She did not plan the village out in much detail, though. Why would she? Things generally worked out alright when you left people to handle the details on their own, anyway.
The people could be calm and collected. They could be sensible and plan ahead. But, too often, they didn't. They got some crazy risky idea in their head and either disregarded or entirely forgot about the inevitable consequences. This was just a part of being people, and everyone felt it sometimes. You would get an idea and forget almost everything else for a while in pursuit of it. A flight of mind, it was called - one might decide to invent a new flying trick and stay in the air for hours attempting it, or attempt to carve a new tool, going through five large sticks in a row even if the results were not satisfactory, or spend two days flying to every roof in the village and decorating them with flowers, or try to lure the stone-dense and terrifyingly strong horned beasts of the plains into some half-baked trap despite the risk of being gored. That one had gotten the foolish hunter killed outright, just like Broken Wing.
Such moods were not totally overpowering - merely very compelling. But they caused trouble. Someone caught in a flight of mind would neglect their usual work, meaning that a wall was left un-done, a tunic un-made, or a dinner table empty. They were even contagious sometimes, if the one in a flight of mind explained it and the listeners found the idea compelling. Then again, such moods lifted the spirit. After a moon of hard drudgery and hunger, watching someone be taken in by a mood and do something unusual was entertaining, even inspiring. And being caught up in one was a feeling almost like flying. In the end, the people were unsure whether these were a good thing or not.
What attitude towards flights of mind did Wisla Highnote encourage?
[] They bring joy, inspiration, new ideas, and discovery. They are good as long as you don't get yourself killed. Embrace them!
[] They leave work un-done, and even if you think you are careful enough, you are probably not. One ought to resist them.
Wisla Highnote is many things. She is a shining beacon to some, with a ready answer to all kinds of problems. She is a calm voice in the heat of passion or panic, and an angry screech in the ears of those who would cause trouble. Her beauty and wisdom are surely unmatched. She was the one who saw more than anyone, who was whispered to by Vail, the Wise Mother.
Even if, in her thoughts to herself, she was terribly, unspeakably fragile and uncertain. It was all an act. Always seeming calm and collected, always speaking with confidence. She was fake. When presented with a hard problem, she would retreat from the ones who posed it, wander, and talk. After listening to the most reliable of her friends, she picked the ones that made the most sense, then then repeated their ideas as if they were her own.
Dresa's pink crest and wide hips were distinctive and immediately recognizable. She was carrying a small child on her head as she walked through the village, his little wings spread wide as he stared around at everything. "Look, Mati! It's Mama Highnote!"
Wisla let her beak open just slightly and tilted her head to the left a bit. A smile.
"Hello! Highnote!" The little one was two years old. Mati, Mati, he was... Ah. Govi and Dresa's child. Or so she thinks. Maybe Dresa and Venn. She had come together with both Govi and Venn quite often, and they sometimes argued about who the kid resembled more.
"Mama Highnote is the smartest person in the whole world!" Wisla felt a pang of guilt at that.
"Woooow."
"I wouldn't say that. I just try to help everyone. Oh! Did Basi show you how we need to take fruit skins away from the village so animals don't try to eat them and make a mess of things?"
"Of course, Miss Highnote. And, yes, she did. That's clever! Hopefully those things will annoy us less, now." Dresa bows. "Have a lovely day! Oh, I think Govi wanted to talk to you... But I'm sure he'll find you later if so, and I don't want to bother you any more than I have already."
"It's no trouble at all, Dresa." Wisla gestures at her. "You have a lovely day, too."
As Dresa walks away she coos to the boy, "See, Mati? Mama Highnote is kind and humble too. You should be like her when you grow up!"
Wisla took measured breaths, counting in her head, while keeping her slight smile affixed to her face. Every time something like that happened she felt twisted up inside for hours afterward. She was not clever or insightful at all, really. Her skill and power lied entirely in leading and inspiring other people. It could be... Tiring. The picture of perfection and brilliance fell away, sometimes. Every person has some failings, as Wisla was coming to learn.
Basi was good at both gathering news and teaching people things, tasks that seemed useless at first but were actually quite handy... But she simply could not shut up or keep a secret, even to avoid angering everyone around her. Jerosk was reliable, decently clever, and always followed instructions without panicking if some small detail was impossible... A perfect person to, say, go and find a good spot for a wood-cutting camp. But he was also incredibly lazy and would not use a single feather's worth of extra effort for anything. (Even this could be useful, though - he occasionally found useful shortcuts on some tasks that saved everyone some effort).
Wisla had a failing, too. An indulgence. While the Valki had no understanding of such things except in the vaguest and most instinctual terms, for better or worse, the vice and failing of the most famous, most respected, most obvious, brightest feather among the people, would shape what was considered good or bad, acceptable or forbidden in the common manners.
What was Wisla Highnote's way of keeping herself sane?
[] She asked the god Vail for advice and inspiration again and again, spending hours each day doing so, even though they never answered.
[] She claimed large amounts of food, many clothes and tools and shiny trinkets, and the biggest house all for herself, even if others wanted or needed them.
[] She let anger and fury and petty spite release her tension sometimes, cutting those she disliked with her talons or denying them food and shelter.
Sorry for making you guys choose a vice, but I thought it might be interesting to show the sort of 'human' side of things (even if they're actually bird-people). And a society is defined by its vices as much as its virtues, sometimes.
Flights of mind are a psychological quirk of the Valki that you do not fully understand or know the details of yet. But they are a real psychological phenomenon, not just a cultural artifact.
Almost before she knew it, Wisla Highnote was old. Vail had told her of this, too, before he stopped speaking to her. Bodies crumble eventually, like a well-worn knife. Ah, those early days seem so long ago, and yetlike yesterday... There were more people than could be counted. The settlement at Feathergrass Hill grew ever larger as new children hatched every year. Even with the occasional death from stupidity or recklessness or the diseases that occasionally ran through the people, there were more than ever.
Wisla was almost glad her bones were starting to ache and creak. Even if it meant she could barely fly anymore for fear of snapping her wings in two. As she aged, she might well die before there became so many people she could not know all their names and likes and relationships to each other. There were six hundred and seven... Maybe six hundred and six, by now. One of the newly-hatched babes this year is still sick and nobody is sure if she'll get better.
Lately, her prayers to Vail are almost more like meditations on the people she has been responsible for since the very first day of her life. How can she protect them all? How can she make them happy? How can she ensure the future for them? Do you have any answers for me, O Vail? Shall I tell the people to plant more fields? Or to make more bows, arrows, and spears? Shall I punish one who made a simple mistake not out of malice? Does he deserve that? Is it good to drive fear into everyone else so they will be more careful, or is the fear itself a bad thing? Shall the people get their water from this part of the river, or that one?
Vail never answered, but thinking about these matters as questions to the god sometimes helped her come to a certainty, to conclusions. But it also stirred up memories. Broken Wing... That poor man's screams still linger in her mind. He saw the sky. He took to it. He fell and suffered and died, and went to Vail, sleeping. Dreaming. Such a short life. Was he right to try to fly? Most would say yes - you see something that you want, or feel the urge to fly, then you should just do it. Some would say that her ability to sit around not working and think about such questions was a sign of pure luxury. That much, at least, was true.
Value Gained:
Let the Mind Fly Free When inspiration brushes past your wing, seize it and fly! See where it takes you! Create and act, for it is a joyous thing to let your mind fly free, even if you might suffer for it! Pros: Somewhat improved chance of innovation, Increased chance for values to shift, Occasional uncontrolled exploration. Cons: Increased chance for values to shift, Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Increased recklessness.
Wisla's thoughts were tangled. Vague. What was Vail's dream-place like? What did the god want? He created the people and educated them, at least a little bit. He created the world. And while he lets the people suffer and die, he takes them to himself after that. Perhaps it is a lesson. Rare is the Valki who learns to fly without smacking into the ground at least once. And without pain and difficulty, the successes might feel hollow, just as the many gifts and shiny trinkets she receives from the other people feel empty - she didn't work for these or make them with her own two hands! They are a token of esteem, of having succeeded at guiding others, but still...
The god Vail's purpose is unknown. His mind and methods are unknown. Perhaps unknowable. But he is every Valki's parent. Wisla's prayers and meditations bled into other aspects of her life. She got others to do the same sometimes - as acknowledgement and thanks to Vail, as a way to center one's self and calm the mind.
You have been devoted, my child.
Could it be...? Vail's voice, after so long? It felt almost unreal as she struggled to contain her surprise and continue meditating.
I am much restricted in this world. My messages must be infrequent and short. The same is true of the other gods, who created the other peoples. But if my Valki continue to have faith, you will receive gifts.
A few people thought that she might have imagined the message. That it was wishful thinking, a dream leaking into the world through the half-dreaming state that meditation was. These were mostly the same people who denied that Vail spoke to Wisla Highnote in the very first days, and so the others ignored them. It was a sign and a message. Vail still watched over them, and praise and venerance of him was worthy and good!
Value Gained:
Venerance of the Creator Vail is the creator of the Valki. He watches over us and loves us, and he takes us from our empty shells when we die. Know this fact in your heart and trust Vail with your life, so that you can take to the sky without fear or worry. Pros: Increased unity, Chance for Stability damage to not happen, Increased acceptance of death Cons: Increased acceptance of death
Suddenly, Wisla jerked awake. She had fallen asleep while praying and meditating-! How careless and lazy of her! Then again, dreams are the realm of Vail... No. She can't deceive herself like that, even if some of the others do.
Bah. She is getting old. She was an adult when the people first appeared, and it has been fifty years since then. A few others have succumbed to the slow wearing-away of age, growing sicker and sleepier until nothing wakes them up, or simply keeling over one day for no clear reason. Each time, they would try to understand what had killed the poor dead Valk, then thoroughly destroy and scatter the corpse, the now-meaningless empty shell, returning it to the world - away from any farm fields or water sources. They had learned that lesson the hard way.
But she would not last forever. While everyone looked to her for leadership and advice still, even the young hotheads who hunted bison from the air with heavy stones dropped from above and spears designed to be grasped in either one's talons or hands, so they could be carried while flying and wielded as soon as you land, Wisla Highnote knew that one of the last truly important decisions she would make was who would lead after she died. And she needed to make it before she left an empty shell and it became an urgent matter.
"I think... Yes. Harvest should be over in a week or two. We are doing well. We have plenty of buildings and the harvest is excellent. We'll have a feast, I'll make a speech and announce a project. Later, I'll decide who leads the people into the future. We can begin planning for the future even now."
She slowly walked outside, peering at the wide, sprawling village spread out below. There were many mud-and-stone-and-wood houses here, as people tried different methods of building things. A few of them were tall, a home built on top of long sticks, or one with a second house built on top of the first one - a tall home was lovely and helped you feel like you had plenty of space, though children and the elderly could have trouble getting up there.
The wide open spaces between each structure felt a little bit more closed in as they fell and were rebuilt bigger, or added on to and expanded as needed. It was almost like a slowly sprouting forest of buildings. And towards the edges, down into the valleys all around and trailing along the river, there were a few more lonely structures with swathes of plowed fields around them. The source for most of the Valki's food.
There were more people than before. There would keep being more people, if Vail was willing. How do you best deal with that? How will the people be led?
Project:
[] They will build a shrine to Vail, a proper place to pray and meditate.
[] They will explore the world, searching for the other peoples.
[] They will build a second village to grow the Valki larger.
Leadership:
[] Wisla Highnote will choose a successor to become the Brightest Feather of the People. When she dies, they will lead. They will choose a successor as well, in their own time. With each Brightest Feather choosing the brightest one to follow them, the people will always have good leadership.
[] Wisla Highnote will choose five people from different flights of life become the Feathers of the Crest of the People. A hunter, a craftsman, an elder, a mother, and a farmer, perhaps? They will work together to decide the future of the Valki, choosing a new Feather who is much different than the rest of the Crest whenever one falls.
[] Wisla Highnote will declare that the people should choose their own leader - one who they all trust to make the correct decisions. If the people cannot like and trust the one issuing commands, they are doomed. With everyone discussing the matter, the most capable leader will surely be chosen.
This chapter was a little bit rambly. Wisla Highnote accumulated a surprising amount of character in the short time I've had her.
(She is a Diplo Hero, which is why you're getting to choose a government type and why you haven't had any internal strife yet)
Your first real main turn will be next after this update!
The world is a truly vast place. The Valki know this well, for they can wrest themselves high into the sky and see the unending expanse of it. They knew a little bit of three places, from the first few years of wandering, and much of a fourth.
The steep forested mountains where they were first created lied to the north. A few already considered the mountain range there a holy place, giving it the name of Broken Wings in remembrance of the first Valk to soar, and the first to die. The soaring mountains and steep slopes sing to the soul, making one want to fly up to the peak and survey the whole world from above. But it is a long way away, and life is centered on Feathergrass Hill.
South beyond the hills where Wisla Highnote chose to make the peoples' home, there is a thick forest. There are extremely plentiful small animals and fruit to gather, but the Valki had ultimately stayed away from there, for the dense, high trees made them uncomfortable and anxious. It was very difficult to fly in the thick tangle of undergrowth and branches, and even if you managed to emerge out the top of the trees, you would have to be very careful when landing or face the same dangers. The forest seemed to grow thicker and thicker the deeper one went in it, with some of the trees reaching great heights... Building houses at the very peak of the trees was an exciting idea, but impractical. They kept falling down! So while there were some wood-cutting camps on the edge of the forest, the Tanglewood was not a place where any Valki lived permanently.
Far to the west, beyond a flat plain of grassy land, there is another string of mountains. More barren of vegetation, steeper and more broken. The air formed many strange patterns, helpful winds blowing up so strongly one could simply glide for miles at a time. The soaring spars of rock and steep valleys between sharp peaks and angular hills made for exciting flying indeed. The Valki were by far the largest creatures of the air, and could hunt almost trivially in places like this, diving on small creatures and ravaging them with sharp talons. However, food and water were both hard to come by in the Soaring Mountains. Animals were rare, and the air was thin, and it was often cold. It was a good idea to avoid settling there, many thought. Feathergrass Hill was much nicer.
Wisla's great project was to send the Valki out to see more of the world. Dozens of the best flyers would be given large amounts of food in woven baskets, and would fly to distant lands and see what lies beyond the horizon. They would carve into wood what they saw, landmarks visible from the air to guide one's progress, and bring their stories and maps home.
The explorers went north, south, east, and west. In every direction. They mapped points of interest and landmarks, finding the most beautiful or the fastest or the easiest way to get to other places. They learned more about what kind of animals and plants live there, and occasionally found something interesting or useful. In the Soaring Mountains, there were pretty stones. In the Tanglewood, there were plants whose fibers made softer material than baskets.
And to the east and north-west, there were wholly new lands. In the east there was a seemingly endless expanse of flat land, he only real landmark being the Slithering River, which had turned from its winding course into a powerful current, vast amounts of water flowing along all at once, occasionally added to by smaller rivers and streams. The explorers followed it as long as they could, wanting to see where it led. When they decided they needed to turn back or risk starving in the winter before getting home, they flew as high as they possibly could, looking at the river's path into the distance, and it only continued on yet further! There were different plants and animals out here, with more low patches of shrubs, bushes, clover, and thin or short grass rather than the tall and broad grasses that dominated the grassy plains to the west.
To the north-west, once you explored far enough, the ground became eternally muddy and wet. There was a relatively small band of flatness between the ends of the Broken Wings Mountains and the Soaring Mountains, and for some reason it rained almost constantly there. The explorers went to the highest points on the mountains to the east and west they could. The very peaks were dangerously cold and even the air was thinner, but they could get pretty high. From that vantage point, they saw a near-endless expanse of strange trees, somehow even more forbidding than the Tanglewood to the south.
They made a few forays into the Mud Jungle, trying to pick their way around the monstrously unpleasant flooded wetland by flying from point to point on the mountains that rose up to the east of the endless expanse of green. The trees climbed the hills almost hungrily, and there were strange predators deep in those lands... The explorers could rarely make much progress deep into the jungle and any flight over it must be short since there was no safe place to land. Eventually, they all decided they had found out as much as they could for now.
Some of the People wondered... Where are the other peoples, created by other gods? Perhaps they would simply have to explore more, further, to find them...
In Feathergrass Village, Wisla Highnote perished in her sixty-third year. Her feathers were as shiny and resplendent as ever, a matter of great pride for Valki. The people were so inspired by her passing, she who had led them since the very creation, that the new Crest of the Valki, leaders chosen from folk of different walks of life, decided to pluck the most perfect feather from her empty shell and preserve it in a place where people could come see it and remember her. As things settled in the years after that, the new leaders growing used to their roles, it quickly became a tradition to save feathers from those you loved...
But there was a problem. No matter how carefully one treated them, time would eventually ruin all feathers. Eventually, a fire or flood or wild animal or careless child would destroy it, and even if nothing terrible happened, the feathers would simply rot away sooner or later, even if stored in a cool and dry place. Trying to find a way to preserve feathers became a common theme in the flights of mind the people threw themselves into, experimenting on pressing their own feathers between wood, soaking them in juice or water or other things, and doing anything else they could think of to try and preserve them.
Eventually, the search paid off. A certain species of tree in the Tanglewood produced a sticky, yellowish ooze. When it dried, Through trial and error, the Valki found a way to carefully prepare the ooze, lay feathers into it, and carefully heat the resulting mass in a way that turned the orange-yellow mass into a clear, soft stone-like thing that the Valki called 'amber'. Feathers were most popular, but you could embed anything into amber - bugs, other pretty stones, carved trinkets, and other things.
The very few crafters who mastered the technique found themselves always busy, with everyone clamoring to have the most beautiful stones to adorn themselves with, using the subtle variations in color to emphasize their appearance. Strung on cords, placed on a pedestal, hung on necklaces or bracelets, set into tools or weapons, the beautifully translucent amber art would adorn everything the Valki used - though most often themselves. Already people were talking of building a small village with special buildings and tools for the production of amber, since after the first year it was clear that the demand for more of the pretty stones would probably always be greater than the number that were available.
Megaproject Unlocked: Amber Works Cover yourself in the beauty that intelligent hands make from the world around them...
The Crest worked hard at first to learn to lead and earn the people's trust, working together to make decisions that Wisla Highnote would have made by herself before. The fact that everything had to be debated between five people who had very different life experiences slowed things down a lot, but having five people who could pay attention to important matters instead of just one was good. For most day to day matters, Valki would do their own thing, storing food for themselves, making their own tools and trading with other people, and so on. The Crest's job was to organize larger efforts, to keep everyone peaceful with each other, and to be ready to solve disputes and problems that would always come up.
Government Type Changed.
Early Tribal Council
-Low centralization
-Very Low chance of bad leaders
-Low chance of excellent leaders
-No extra actions
-Normal chance to generate heroes
Choose your actions for the next turn. You get one Main Action or two Secondary Actions. No plan votes.
[] [SEC/MAIN] Explore Lands = (Target)
S: -1 Temp Econ, -1 Temp Martial, Chance of new discovery
M: -2 Temp Econ, -2 Temp Martial, Improved Chance of new discovery
-Write-in target or it will be auto selected.
The Valki
Early Tribal Council
-Low centralization
-Very Low chance of bad leaders
-Low chance of excellent leaders
-No extra actions
-Normal chance to generate heroes
Values & Legacies
Let the Mind Fly Free When inspiration brushes past your wing, seize it and fly! See where it takes you! Create and act, for it is a joyous thing to let your mind fly free, even if you might suffer for it! Pros: Somewhat improved chance of innovation, Increased chance for values to shift, Occasional uncontrolled exploration. Cons: Increased chance for values to shift, Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Increased recklessness.
Venerance of the Creator Vail is the creator of the Valki. He watches over us and loves us, and he takes us from our empty shells when we die. Know this fact in your heart and trust Vail with your life, so that you can take to the sky without fear or worry. Pros: Increased unity, Chance for Stability damage to not happen, Increased acceptance of death Cons: Increased acceptance of death
You unlocked a megaproject through a random event on turn one. And yes, I'm aware amber doesn't work like that. You can't make artificial amber that easy in real life. But you can here. OK?
The Crest debated furiously on what to focus the people on. Food was a concern, but there was so much world out there, and many wanted to focus on crafting art from amber as well. The debate raged for months, but eventually...
"Does the lesson of Broken Wing not teach us to seize the moment, to reach for what is pleasing and beautiful and good, to let the mind take flight? Even if the safer and more practical option saves you from a tiny risk of suffering and death, chaining yourself to practicality is a death of spirit. A death of freedom. A death of everything that makes us Valki!"
"...Hmph." The decrepit representative of the elders acknowledged, "He has a point, you know."
"Fine. Fine! We'll do both things, then. Just hope we don't all go hungry because of it. I'd rather be Broken Wing than Starved Wing."
The decision to seek the unknown by sending out more exploration parties while also putting a lot of effort into craft and beauty by starting to build the Amber Works village is met with eagerness and anticipation by the people. Hundreds of Valki put extra effort into crafts, making tools, buildings, and art that are uniquely Valki. While many of the best craftsmen are busy trying to set up the Amber Works permanently, the village on Feathergrass Hill does not suffer for their absence. What's more, there is a sense of unity, of Valkness, that pervades the community. The thrumming songs of freedom and action without fear, echo off the hills and ensure everyone has a strong sense of identity.
There is an ever-increasing belief among the Valki's quickly expanding population that, even as people go about their lives farming, hunting, making tools, raising children, and everything else they do, flying high and seeing new places is the greatest joy in the world, and creating art and beautiful things is one of the greatest good deeds and the most worthy work you can do. Many young children dream of being either brave and bold explorers venturing into the unknown, good crafters and artists, and those who make things take great pride in their work.
Value Shift
Let the Mind Fly Free --> Let the Spirit Fly Free Exploration and creation are worthy and good. Let your spirit soar into new horizons and into the world of beauty and art! Pros: Somewhat improved chance of innovation, Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Chance to passively generate Temp Wealth. Cons: Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Increased recklessness.
That burning desire was mostly spurred on by the commitment to explore outer lands once again. This time, while a few groups of explorers went in every direction, scouring the lands whose names were known and spoken of for new discoveries, the majority of exploratory flights focused on moving as far down the Slithering River as possible. Each time they ventured away from the Feathergrass Hills, they pushed a little further, using campsites and temporary shelters built by the previous expedition to make the journey easier, hauling out food that would keep reasonably well and then returning home for more to extend how far they could go, and scouring the land for miles on either side of the great river for anything and everything interesting.
And they found something interesting eventually. Hundreds of miles downriver, they discovered what were unmistakably one of the other gods' people! The first sign of them was a smoke trail, barely visible on the distant horizon. The explorers flew closer, trying to get a good view, and found a group of Malan hunters.
The Malan have two legs, two arms, and a head, much like the Valki... But that is where the physical similarities end. Malan are massive, some as many as eight or nine feet tall to the Valki's average of four or five. The most impressive specimens have horns as long as a Valk's leg and as wide around as one's head! They're covered in fur, bulky and heavily muscled. They have no beaks, instead their mouths are fulled with unsettling and ugly teeth like goats or similar animals. Their heads are wide, and their eyes are pointed a little bit away from each other, interrupted by a protruding face that is... Sort of like a beak, if you squint, at least.
While their size makes them move slowly and they seem rather ugly to the Valki, apparently the opposite is true for them. They seemed unsettled by the exploration expedition's appearance and movements, and grew visibly nervous whenever one took to the sky for any reason. The explorers found communicating with the strange Malan... Challenging. The language of Valki and of Malan are very different, and the process of learning through repetition and mime is rather slow. Add in the cultural misunderstandings and, well... Luckily, nobody got hurt. However, afterwards the leader of the hunting band the explorers found made a point of throwing stones alarmingly high and fast with those powerful arms. A thrown stone like that could cripple a wing if it hit, easily.
The explorers were shown to an impressive shrine to Uval made from piled dirt and large carved stones. There was a large stone table in the center, where each hunter left a portion of the animals they had killed. Apparently the Malan move around a lot and don't build houses the same way Valki do, but the shrine was impressive enough to make up for that. The explorers traded away some of their amber jewelry and a few feathers for carved bones and a few stone tools which weren't any better or worse than the Valki's own tools, but were interesting for their foreignness and the different style they were made with.
They failed to learn much more about the Malan because of the communication difficulties, and the Valki explorers were starting to run out of food, anyway. So they returned and were treated as celebrities and heroes, repeating the same tales about the lumbering giants and their strange ways hundreds of times, how they lived along the Long Tail (their name for the river) and that their god's name was Uval. There was immediate talk of another expedition to go meet them, but the Malan really are an awfully long distance away, so it was not clear of such an expedition would happen, organized by individuals, without the support of the Crest that led the people.
As the effort to build amber workshops progresses, the climate grows wetter and wetter, leading the Slithering River to swell over its banks slightly twice in the last generation. usually a low and wide mass burbling along at a slow walking pace, it swells over its usual banks and swallows parts of the snake-like valley that it follows through the Feathergrass Hills.
Across many of the low valleys between the winding hills there are narrow muddy furrows which turn dry and barren when there is no rain, but become swift streams after a storm. All too frequently, they instead become surging flows of brown water and muck, ruining the farms built around the stream-beds to take advantage of easy watering. The lowest valleys turn into narrow lakes of brown water moving with surprising force. A river is like the finger of a god, and this one is dragging along the skin of the world a little bit painfully.
The Crest argues endlessly about how best to respond, and for the first few years do nothing, simply hoping that the floods would go away. But the second time the river overran its banks, taking the life of a young girl who couldn't fly away this time, they had to act. After much argument, they decided that all the farmers would store away a small portion of what they produced to be given out to feed anybody whose harvest was ruined as long as the floods persisted. There was much grumbling and not a small amount of arguing from the most vexatious farmers, but the Crest was reasonably neutral, and everyone eventually complied. The stored-away food prevented a dozen or two people from suffering from hunger when their farms were half-ruined, at least.
At least the small village where the Amber Works is being slowly assembled is far enough to the south and on high enough ground that it seems to be in no danger from the rains and flooding, and would probably be mostly untroubled even if they worsen. Building a village dedicated to craft is no small project, but there are dozens of large buildings with plenty of space for worktables and tool-racks going up, giant fire-pits being dug out and lined with stones, and many small experiments in progress between all the arguing craftsmen on how best to extract and process the precious resin without killing the trees that produce it.
All those craftsmen and workers need to be fed, too, about half with hunters' snares and spears in the Tanglewood and half with food carried dozens of miles from the main village. The Crest is impatient and annoyed. How hard could it be to build a place for amber production? But it turns out that building a whole village with specialized tools and structures, while still figuring out the subtleties of working with amber, while the craftsmen's demands for workspace and tools constantly change, is a significant challenge. But things are advancing despite the challenge, as the leaders of the Valki remain determined to pursue beauty.
...Something may need to be done about the flooding rivers, though. They've caused only manageable damage so far, but if they keep flooding it will be a real pain for the Valki in the long term.
[] Focus more on farming to try and save up food in case it gets worse. +1 Temp Econ, Chance of innovation.
[] Forget that, send a big group to go meet and trade with the Malan! -1 Temp Econ, Information about the outside world, Information about the Malan, Possible other benefits.
[] Forget that too, it's time we built a shrine to Vail since Uval has one. -2 Temp Econ, +1 Shrine.
The Valki
Early Tribal Council
-Low centralization
-Very Low chance of bad leaders
-Low chance of excellent leaders
-No extra actions
-Normal chance to generate heroes
Values & Legacies
Let the Spirit Fly Free Exploration and creation are worthy and good. Let your spirit soar into new horizons and into the world of beauty and art! Pros: Somewhat improved chance of innovation, Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Chance to passively generate Temp Wealth. Cons: Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Increased recklessness.
Venerance of the Creator Vail is the creator of the Valki. He watches over us and loves us, and he takes us from our empty shells when we die. Know this fact in your heart and trust Vail with your life, so that you can take to the sky without fear or worry. Pros: Increased unity, Chance for Stability damage to not happen, Increased acceptance of death Cons: Increased acceptance of death
The climate will be a concern for you. The current climate is Flooding 1. It might improve, it might worsen. No real damage was taken, but your current government and values are not set up to resist awful climates particularly well, so your people will suffer if the rains don't let up...
It is good and well that the Crest decided to push people into more farming, to better prepare for more flooding in case it gets worse.
Because it got worse. Much worse. Oh, it was a slow process - a little bit deeper one year, three minor floods in five years... But then, a catacylsm of water washed through the hills. The various small streams turned into churning mud carrying broken twigs and leaves. Slithering River itself became a roiling brown mass that chewed up anything it caught, mauling it against other debris or the overflowed riverbank. Whole valleys became wide, stagnant lakes for months at a time, the tops of trees barely visible over the still water-line.
They pray to Vail, asking for relief, or for an explanation, and hear no answer. Again and again the people re-plant their farms a bit further from the river, on slightly smaller and steeper pieces of land. Again and again, the river surpasses all expectations. The lower parts of the Valki's first village have to be relocated entire to the tops of hills, and the Valki's first village is now more located on the crown of the hill rather than in its wind-shadow, after some hasty relocations, the entire village being torn down and rebuilt a few hundred feet up the hill, well away from the surging waters.
Even the great horned giants, the Malan, suffer some from the floods as the river spills over its banks and floods portions of the great grassy plain they live on. They farm less and hunt more than the Valki, even if they are so huge that they need to eat more, so they are mostly fine living a bit further away from the flooded low-lying land surrounding the river.
The Crest's organization of extra effort on farming and the improvised system of taking some of everyone's food for distribution to those in need prevents anyone from outright starving, but hunger and suffering abounds. The Valki have less free time, less stored away food, and less energy for labor of all kinds due to dealing with the awful weather.
Faced with the pressure of frequent rain and flooding back home, some of the people scatter, deciding to live in small groups in drier climes. At first, these exclaves are a dozen or two Valki at most. Some of the people decide to expeditions to the Malan on their own. While the Malan can't help much directly, diplomatic contact goes well.
It seems like the Malan fight each other once in a while, in duels or in large groups. Their horns are dangerous, but they try to avoid killing each other most of the time. The tradition is that the defeated party gives some piece of tribute and leaves. The Malan are sympathetic and friendly to the prospect of endless flooding and starvation, and say that their god Uval asks them to help others if they are worthy. Apparently the Valki are worthy because they would be dangerous to fight, with the sharp claws, bravery to explore the unknown, and the ability to fly, even if they are smaller and rather frail in comparison.
Meanwhile, the Valki are unsettled by the idea of any people deliberately killing each other... It hadn't actually happened to them yet. Nobody had deliberately killed anybody in the history of the people, though you might well get cut up a bit by talons wielded in anger if someone was angry enough. Everyone remembered the story of Broken Wing, and most people remembered Wisla Highnote's lesson to help each other instead of fighting.
Interestingly down in the bull-people's lands, despite the flooded plains causing trouble they bring a discovery as well. A Malan woman noticed something unusual... The interior of the shrine to Uval their people had built is below the level of the flooded water, but it remains dry once rain-water is carried out of the depression... The water could not pass through the low earthen walls surrounding the carved stone shrine. A little further experimentation showed that by piling up and compacting low earthen walls around the edges of a river, floods could be resisted! A Valki who is visiting hears of this discovery and wonders about digging a path for water to follow. Digging paths for water to flow off of large streams turns out to work surprisingly well - while farmers don't often need this new trick due to having an excess of water, it is still useful.
Megaproject Unlocked: Slithering River Levee A levee is an earthen structure meant to control the flow of a river and prevent flooding. Exerting control over a river would be a powerful statement for the Valki people...
Still, the trouble drives many of the expanding number of people to scatter to other places. With a new home only a few days' flying away, many leave the troubled Feathergrass Hill for elsewhere. Some set up camp near Tanglewood Edge to make amber or support those who do the same. Some went to the live near Broken Peak because it was the origin of the Valki, and supposedly closer to Vail. Some decided to make a home in the mercifully dry Soaring Mountains to the west where lack of water is the concern instead of an excess of it.
A few rare adventurous types even leave other Valki behind entirely and join the wandering groups of Malan on the plains, scouting prey for their hunters from the air. Nobody goes to the thick, choking, wet, miserable jungle, of course. It's even more of a muddy mire than usual. None of these small gatherings and tiny collections of huts are large enough to be considered villages of their own yet, but they might well continue to grow and be large and prosperous some day.
Nobody really saw anything wrong with this arrangement, with the Valki scattering like seeds on the wind, until a certain incident...
It happened on a routine hunt, as the only surviving witness tells it. A hunter named Selk, he said he had spotted a goat on the cliffy foothills of the Soaring Mountains. He was a skilled and fierce hunter, and dived on it expertly, coming out of the sun twitching in midair at the last moment when the goat tried to flee. Bleeding and maimed, the goat tumbled down a cliff, landing broken on the rocks below.
As Selk began to cut apart his kill and build a fire, another hunter called Vasla landed and ranted angrily. He had been tracking the goat for hours and was just about to strike, when Selk stole the kill! Selk laughed and told Vasla that didn't matter - he was the one who seized the moment and struck. Vasla did not like that one bit. He kicked the fire Selk had built apart and then lashed out in anger. The two fought, and Selk walked away dragging the dead goat after wounding Vasla enough to make the other hunter back off.
Four days later, Vasla was found dead in the very same ravine. He was from Feathergrass Hill, not the small community of hunters in the Soaring Mountains, and once the story was told nobody was feeling inclined to go look for the man. What's more, nobody had thought to send word that he might need help.
Vasla's friends from Feathergrass Hill showed up in a large group a few days later, angry and out for blood. For three days in a row, each side faced each other, suspicious and angry, shouting about how the other was wrong and needed to be punished. For a while it looked like a repeat of the part of Broken Wing's story where the people split into two sides and were going to kill each other! Such a thing was awful and unacceptable! While that particular incident fizzled out after few minor fights where nobody else died, the Crest of leaders met and argued for a month, for they did not know how to deal with the idea that the Valki might be fragmenting and splintering. However, they all agreed that something had to be done about these scattering groups.
What did the Crest decide to do about all the Valki scattering to places?
[] Declare that even distant Valki are subject to rule by the Crest on Feathergrass Hill, who would send someone as an authority to these distant places.
[] Accept that any other village could have its own leaders, but say the different villages should all meet regularly and agree on some rules for all Valki.
[] Suggest that each village appoint a leader, or a few depending on their size, and the leaders from each village make up a Crest for all the Valki.
Choose your actions for the next turn. You get one Main Action or two Secondary Actions. No plan votes.
[] [SEC/MAIN] Explore Lands
S: -1 Temp Econ, -1 Temp Martial, Chance of new discovery
M: -2 Temp Econ, -2 Temp Martial, Improved Chance of new discovery
-Write-in target or it will be auto selected.
The Valki
Early Tribal Council
-Low centralization
-Very Low chance of bad leaders
-Low chance of excellent leaders
-No extra actions
-Normal chance to generate heroes
Values & Legacies
Let the Spirit Fly Free Exploration and creation are worthy and good. Let your spirit soar into new horizons and into the world of beauty and art! Pros: Somewhat improved chance of innovation, Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Chance to passively generate Temp Wealth. Cons: Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Increased recklessness.
Venerance of the Creator Vail is the creator of the Valki. He watches over us and loves us, and he takes us from our empty shells when we die. Know this fact in your heart and trust Vail with your life, so that you can take to the sky without fear or worry. Pros: Increased unity, Chance for Stability damage to not happen, Increased acceptance of death Cons: Increased acceptance of death
Note: The flooding is very dangerous. You have a significant chance to lose at least one more Temp Econ during the mid turn, possibly up to 4 if you have truly abysmal luck. If Temp Econ hits zero, your people barely have enough food to get by. If it is negative, they are starving.
The question of what to do about smaller individual villages is a troubling one, eventually resolved with the Crest of leaders at Feathergrass Hill relinquishing any formal claim on telling the other settlements what to do. Instead, they argued that people from everywhere Valki live ought to fly to some place and meet once in a while, to discuss matters of importance and come to agreements on what to do about problems.
The leadership of Feathergrass Hill undoubtedly controls these meetings. Even if leaders from the other tiny villages that are too small to count as real settlements squawk and rage and argue, eventually they always seem to end up doing what the Crest wants them to do. For these esteemed Valki decorated in so much glittering translucent amber that they find it hard to fly are still very powerful and influential. They control the grain storage, they ensure disputes are resolved with a minimum of violence, and they are both the wealthiest Valki around and seen as wise and influential.
Despite the risk of continuing flooding and bad weather wearing down the village even more, the Crest decided to continue devoting large amounts of effort to establishing the Amber Works. The little artisan-village took shape quickly. Past years of work had dug great fire-pits and raised workshop walls, and the work that remained was setting up dedicated sources for the wood, sap, resin, and tools that the craftsmen would no doubt use large amounts of.
While some expected this to be a difficult and lengthy process, there were already dozens of people living near the edge of the Tanglewood. Hunters, craftsmen, workers on the project who wanted to live there instead of flying back and forth so often... The Amber Works let off a strange smell that was pleasant in small amounts but vile when concentrated, which pervaded the entire area immediately around the workshops and curing fires.
However, a mile or two away from the workshop, the patchwork village called Amberplace began acquiring more and more houses, some hunting camps, hatchery buildings, storehouses, farms and irrigation. There were at least a dozen small settlements of wandering Valki, and most of these were left empty in the winter, or abandoned before the decade was out when there was not really anything to draw people there...
However, there was a very good reason for Valki to live at the edge of the Tanglewood. By the time the Amber Works was considered truly complete, an entire settlement had grown nearby. It was far smaller and less busy than the teeming roosts of Feathergrass Hill, but the residents of Amberplace considered themselves no less important and were proud of their home, as a distinct place that produced works of great beauty.
Megaproject Completed: Amber Works Cover yourself in the beauty that intelligent hands make from the world around them... Reward: Value Change, Access to significant amounts of the Amber luxury good. Synergy Reward: +1 Settlement
Putting so much effort into a place to make art sparked seemingly endless debates among the people. When hunger could strike at any moment, were beautiful things really worth the effort? Yes, the leaders told their people, for it is only in seeking beauty and exploring the world that the Valki are at their most pure, as the god Vail intended them.
Even in times of hardship, explore. Even in times of want, create art.
At the end of the decade, the yearly floods were becoming less dangerous. After two, they were almost entirely gone. Some thought that Vail was testing them by sending down foul weather, and that they had passed by showing spirit. But others argued against this, for in the wisdom of Wisla Highnote it is said that Vail is detached from the world and cannot affect it very much.
The religious debate did not really go anywhere, but the conversation surrounding it did crystallize a new view on what it meant to be a Valki. The two great drives that separated them from base animals were curiosity and the seeking of beauty.
Value Split:
Let the Spirit Fly Free --> Spirit of Exploration There is no joy greater than learning about what is over the horizon... Travel far and often, and tell tales of distant lands to whoever you may meet. Pros: Somewhat improved chance of innovation, Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Improved internal communication. Cons: Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Increased recklessness.
Let the Spirit Fly Free --> Cover Yourself in Beauty The desire for beautiful things is what separates people from animals. Whether you create beauty or merely collect it, if you have pretty things all will be well. Pros: Can spend Temp Wealth to increase Stability, Chance to passively generate Temp Wealth. Cons: Increased greed.
Hunting seems to be a better option than farming, to many Valki at the time. It becomes a common occupation, and almost every day one can see a stream of large winged figures radiating out from their homes in search of prey. The vast plains hold all manner of edible beast, simply waiting for a hunter to swoop down from above and cut into its back, or to drop a heavy stone with devastating crushing power. Skilled hunters can feed many people, a welcome relief from the restrained diets everyone had grown used to.
An annoyance the hunters had always faced is trying to get their kills back home. Small prey like rabbits or lesser birds could be carried in the claw, but something like a goat, or even a young boar, was too large and heavy for this to work. So instead the hunter had to either drag it somewhere themselves or fly far away and return with help to carry the kill home, knowing that something else could come and steal the dead body while they were gone.
In their efforts to make this annoyance go away, a few craftsmen began making large baskets, long and thin and rounded, with an opening at the front. They were shaped in a way that they could be grasped with two claws and when held this way would be forced tightly closed by the weight of whatever was inside. These flight-baskets did not end up being particularly useful for the hunters, but they were good for moving other things around. Streamlined and stable while flying, they were good for moving things around. Very large or heavy things still needed to be carried on the ground, but now you could carry twenty or thirty pounds at high speed through the air instead of trudging along the ground with it, even if such a flight was an intense workout for most.
"The great floods of the past decades are gone for now, and we are growing as a people." Dozens of amber pendants rattle pleasantly as the influential elder continues to speak. "We have survived the flooding and come out stronger for it. Valki live all over the lands west of the great plains."
Haufi the Quiet nods. His title is an honorable one, an insult meant to highlight his weak and shaky voice, which he turned around into a proudly-borne title by his ability to swoop out of the sky or walk along the ground in near-total silence, and strike with a viciousness and ferocity that few Valki could match.
Haufi speaks with a voice barely above a whisper. The others silence themselves to hear him. "Yes. There are more Valki than ever, and wings soar over the Tanglewood as much as they do over Feathergrass Hill."
"Truly, Vail has blessed us for our persistence. Our people soar over the world and wear some of the prettiest things in it." Amber jewelry rattles again, a rippling taktaktak sound that Haufi tries and fails to ignore.
"But the horned people... The Malan." Haufi sighs.
"They are jealous, as they should be!" A belligerent craftsman interrupts. "What does it matter if they build big piles of stone and dirt? Ugly structures made by an ugly people. We have the sky and our amber, so we can just ignore the insults."
"Yes, yes. They're brutes." Haufi whaps the previous speaker on the head with one wing. "That's what I'm worried about. Nothing awful has happened yet, but it's probably inevitable. Some idiot is going to kill one of them to steal their horns for a trophy, or for the horn ornaments. Or try to and fail. Or insult them back a bit too eagerly and get gored... And then whoever died, all their friends will be up in arms. Won't matter whose fault it was. It'll be a fight until one of our peoples can't fight anymore. We can attack them from the air, take their things, harass and harry. They'll throw rocks but won't be able to drive good flyers off. They're slow, but they can march straight to our settlements and flatten everything."
"I don't think it will necessarily happen that way. There have been persistent fights between some of the little settlements, and those go away eventually if you just ignore them."
"Valki fighting Valki is different. The leader dies, the rest of them lose their nerve and slink off somewhere with their friends. Are you really sure the same thing would happen if a horned giant steps on an egg by accident?"
"...I suppose not."
"I don't want that. But I'm no Wisla Highnote. Can't do it by singing like she did. I'm the quiet one. So instead, I want to be ready when it happens. I have an idea, and I want to take a lot of hunters out to the Soaring Mountains and see if it'll really work..."
"Hmm... You are one of our best hunters, silent one. If you think it is a good use of time, I think the Crest can support you in this."
What is Haufi the Silent's idea?
[][Idea] Aerial motions, wing-dances, that communicate information through the pattern of swoops and turns. You can see further than you can hear.
[][Idea] Long sticks wrapped with thick cloth soaked in resin and lit on fire. Drop them from the air and watch the fires spread. A dangerous weapon.
[][Idea] Fighting like the wind. Turn away from blows and attack from another direction. Fight so the enemy can never know where you will swoop in from.
Choose your actions for the next turn. You get one Main Action or two Secondary Actions. No plan votes.
[] [SEC/MAIN] Explore Lands
S: -1 Temp Econ, -1 Temp Martial, Chance of new discovery
M: -2 Temp Econ, -2 Temp Martial, Improved Chance of new discovery
-Write-in target or it will be auto selected.
The Valki
Early Tribal Council
-Low centralization
-Very Low chance of bad leaders
-Low chance of excellent leaders
-No extra actions
-Normal chance to generate heroes
Diplomatic Relations
The Malan: Enourmous bull-people seven to nine feet tall, with horns the size of a Valki's wing and immense, almost unbelievable strength. Relations are politely neutral with some trade and occasional Valki living among the Malan, but have been worsening recently.
Values & Legacies
Spirit of Exploration There is no joy greater than learning about what is over the horizon... Travel far and often, and tell tales of distant lands to whoever you may meet. Pros: Somewhat improved chance of innovation, Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Improved internal communication. Cons: Occasional uncontrolled exploration, Increased recklessness.
Cover Yourself in Beauty The desire for beautiful things is what separates people from animals. Whether you create beauty or merely collect it, if you have pretty things all will be well. Pros: Can spend Temp Wealth to increase Stability, Chance to passively generate Temp Wealth. Cons: Increased greed.
Venerance of the Creator Vail is the creator of the Valki. He watches over us and loves us, and he takes us from our empty shells when we die. Know this fact in your heart and trust Vail with your life, so that you can take to the sky without fear or worry. Pros: Increased unity, Chance for Stability damage to not happen, Increased acceptance of death Cons: Increased acceptance of death
Completed Megaprojects
Amber Works Cover yourself in the beauty that intelligent hands make from the world around them... Reward: Value Split, Access to significant amounts of the Amber luxury good. Synergy Reward: +1 Settlement
Value changes should be less common moving forward now that the basic idea for your people is laid out and I have a good feel for it.
I am also contemplating some new mechanics that more closely fit the tone being set by a relatively decentralized government, but those aren't coming into play quite yet.
I am not 100% set in stone on these mechanics yet and am open to feedback and criticism on them.
Since your government is now decentralized, you have two embedded and growing settlements, and the old oligarchs who held on to all the power at first are dead by now in favor of a new, young crowd... The mechanics are changing.
You no longer have the ability to, as a king would, closely direct everything the Valki do. Instead, what you have is Influence.
Influence is the measure of your ability to steer the civilization as a whole. You've decentralized, so you will get more actions in the same time period... But these actions will all be selected automatically.
...
Basically, you're going to be the god Vail. You can subtly nudge the Valki, you can talk to them, but you cannot interfere too much.
Every turn you will get [X] + 1d[Y] Influence to spend. Initially, this will be 1 + 1d3.
Influence can be used in the following ways:
-1 Influence to change a [SEC] action the civ plans to take this turn into a different [SEC] action.
-2 Influence to change a [MAIN] action to another [MAIN]
--or to two [SEC] actions.
--or to change two [SEC] actions into a [MAIN] action.
---These costs could be different in some situations, on a case by case basis.
-3 Influence to speak a divine message to someone who worships Vail. They will probably take you seriously, but the message you send is subject toheavy veto and could have unpredictable effects.
--More complicated messages incur additional costs.
-3 Influence to nudge the weather one "climate level" towards the ideal during the upcoming turn.
-1+ (one or more) Influence to 'boost' an action, making its results stronger or more dramatic. Effects depend on what the action is, how much was spent, and a roll.
-3 Influence can be spent to 'bank' 1 Influence, storing it for later use. Banked Influence has no cap or limit. You can have over 9000 banked influence, though that will probably never happen. It can be used at any time.
-Unspent Influence will disappear.
-I am still undecided on whether Midturns will continue to be a thing. If they continue to be a thing, you will be able to use Influence to determine or at least slant the odds on the reaction the civ takes to events.
