[X] [Faith] Venerating the commonplace spirits which can be found everywhere.
[X] [Others] Subjugate the other islanders so that the People can claim the island as their own.
Despite the many of the People wishing to reclaim their ancestral home of Oldshore, it was ultimately decided to not be worth the effort. Almost all of the People lived on Newshore and there wasn't much value in Oldshore before the foothold on the other side of the ocean that it gave the People. The Stormfolk have proven themselves to be mighty fighters and it would be a difficult endeavour.
Perhaps if the People could commit to that challenge, but alas, they could not. Unlike the Stormfolk, who were content to take Oldshore and leave the rest of the People alone in Newshore, the Sunset Tribes were actively causing trouble.
Having fought amongst themselves in the past for glory, the hunters of the Sunset Tribes were eager to test themselves against outsiders and no longer have to shed the blood of each other for glory. The sunset hunters came by both
sailing across the ocean and trekking across the land, striking at the closest villages of the People.
The People fought back vigorously, but even with Black Rock and greater numbers, they weren't always successful and several of the People's villages found themselves being ransacked and pillaged by the more experienced hunters of the Sunset Tribes.
Outraged by the provoked losses of life, the People struck back at the Sunset Tribes with the intentions of ending their raids for good so that future generations would not suffer at the hands of their hunters. The first few attacks by the People were repelled, but the People did not give up. Neither did the Sunset Tribes as they continued to attack the People as generations went by as their warriors continued to seek glory and fame against the outsiders on the village. Suffering regular raids by their island neighbours, the People soon forgot about their ancestral home on Oldshore as the fighting with the Sunset Tribes engulf their nation.
It many seasons, but the hunters of the People built up their own skill and experience at fighting other people. Where the Sunset Tribes initially had the advantage of better fighters, the People soon denied them that advantage while levering their own advantages of Black Rock and greater numbers. As the fighting went on, it became clear that the Sunset Tribes were fewer than the People. Both sides bled in the conflict, but only the People could afford the losses. The fighting soon caused the Sunset Tribes to run low on hunters and ceased their raids while their numbers rebuilt.
The People took this opportunity to strike back. Sending their own raiding parties, they attacked the villages of the Sunset Tribes in the forest. While often repelled or driven back, the People gained a foothold and they secured that foothold by building villages closer to the Sunset Tribes, reducing the amount of travel time for their hunter. Having established a presence amongst the weakened Sunset Tribes, the People had subdued the remaining Sunset Tribes as not only had they yet to recover from losing most of their warriors, but there was only one of them for every three members of the People.
The People had proven successful in their goal in subjugating the Sunset Tribes and at the point, it was just a question of how they would be subjugated by the People.
How did the victorious People subjugate the defeated Sunset Tribes?
[] [Sunset] They took the survivors as slaves and dispersed them amongst their villages.
[] [Sunset] They forced the survivors to take oaths of servitude to them.
[] [Sunset] They conquered their lands and took them as their own.
[] [Sunset] They forced the remaining tribes to cease attacking you and acknowledge them as their overlords.
The generations went by and for a time, the People were content to hold the island of Newshore. It was a massive island and it would be countless generations before they ran out of space if they did at all. They farmed, fished and hunted as the People lived out their lives and discovered more of Newshore's secrets. Past generations had discovered the value of Black Rock and now the People had discovered the value of Yellow Rock.
While the Yellow Rock wasn't valuable on its down, it provided health and life to the plants of the People. The Shamans quickly figured out that the spirits of the Yellow Rock would drive away the other spirits that threatened and plagued the spirits of the plants. Free of that which would harm them spiritually, the plants would grow strong and healthy.
The People also discovered the hot springs amongst the hills around Fire Mountain. Pools of heated water could be found about the hillsides and even Fire Mountain itself through the mountain hot springs were a bit too hot for the People to safely use. While it was a long trek to them that took multiple days, it was one that the hunters would regularly take as they enjoyed the hot baths that the hot springs provided.
But all good things come to an end and while the People had an era of peace, it was broken by those back on the mainland.
Over the generations, the Stormfolk had settled down in the Oldshore region. Once united, they have grown apart as their settlements were ruled independent councils of their strongest and most important spellcasters. Valuing the family over community, the Stormfolk shared a culture, but no leadership as their councils would each rule over a single settlement or a collection a few settlements. Each settlement looked out for itself and the Stormfolk prioritised their family over all others. With no unifying leadership, tribal divisions and a warlike culture, the Stormfolk would often fight amongst themselves like the Sunset Tribes did.
The Stormfolk weren't the only people on the mainland. Since the People had been driven from Oldshore, a new group had settled down in the old lands, south of Oldshore. These Oldlanders were akin to the Sunset Tribes as they valued martial prowess and were led by their greatest hunters. Divided up into tribes that often warred with each other, the Oldlanders worshipped some grand spirits that belonged to their people and the greatest of their hunters fought in service to those great spirits.
From what the People discovered latter, the Oldlanders and Stormfolk had warred with each other regularly in addition to fighting amongst themselves. With strong martial traditions, the people of Oldshore decided to include the People as part of their targets once the islanders and mainlanders encountered each other after a handful of generations of non-contact.
The People were initially divided on how to deal with the raids from the mainland. Some advocated that they focus on the defensive, either fortifying the coastline against the raiding parties or attempting to intercept them at sea before they reached Newshore.
Others felt that they should strike back at the Stormfolk and Oldlanders with their own raiding parties, like they did with the Sunset Tribes. If the mainlanders wanted a war, then the People would give them a war and a taste of their own medicine. Others advocated that they should only fight one of the two groups as the Stormfolk and Oldlanders were enemies and the People could leverage that to their advantage. They could focus on either the Stormfolk or the Oldlanders as an enemy whilst seeking friendship from the other in order to get an alliance against their mutual enemy.
How did the People deal with the raiders from mainland?
[] [Oldshore] They fortified the coastline against mainland raiders.
[] [Oldshore] They intercepted the mainland raiders while at sea.
[] [Oldshore] They send their own raiding parties to attack the mainland settlements.
[] [Oldshore] They raided the Stormfolk whilst seeking friendship with the Oldlanders.
[] [Oldshore] They raided the Oldlanders whilst seeking friendship with the Stormfolk.
The Stormfolk and Oldlanders of Oldshore weren't the only people that the People would encounter on the mainland. The People would find the Forest Priests beyond the Sunrise Mountains and pass the Sunset Mountains, they would find the Sunset Clans. Unlike the Sunset Tribes, the Stormfolk and the Oldlanders, the Forest Priests and Sunset Clans would prove to friendly and seek peaceful relations with the People over hostile ones.
Like the Sunset Tribes, the Forest Priests lived in a forest and were very spiritual people. Worshipping a set of great spirits, the chosen of these spirits ruled over the Forest Priests. Unlike the other outsiders that the People encountered, the Forest Priests had unity and demanded that their people conform to the teachings of their great spirits. Yet despite this conformity and being ruled by the servants of their great spirits, the Forest Priests were proud to proclaim how they treated each other as equals under their great spirits.
Despite the similarity in names and being divided up into clans, the Sunset Clans held very little in common with the Sunset Tribes. Calling themselves the chosen people of a powerful spirit, the Sunset Clans were united without being united. Each clan was independent and was ruled by a chief who was elected by their clan, but the clans did not war amongst each other except on the rarest occasions. Any conflicts or disagreements were resolved by debate, displays of magic or seeking the judgement of their guardian spirit.
The Sunset Clans were an odd people as their society revolved around their great spirit. Not only did they devoutly worship her, but their great spirit had rewarded them with access to some of her power. The Sunset Clans considered this spiritual power to be of the highest value and not wrongly so as they sought to discover new ways to use it. The Sunset Clans were also different to other outsiders as rather than pick the greatest hunters or the best spellcasters, anyone could become a clan chief as all they had to do is get most of the clan to support them. Every of age member of a clan got equal say in who became the clan chief and there were no limits on who could be clan chief beyond needing to have the majority of the clan supporting their claim.
While the journey was long, both the Forest Priests and the Sunset Clans were open to friendly relationships as they welcome the traders of the People whilst not sending hunters to raid Newshore. Some of the People felt that the People should return these peaceful relations and open up trade with the other mainlanders while others advocated for taking the opportunity to raid them and take riches by force.
How did the People interact with the Forest Priests and the Sunset Clans?
[] [Beyond] They raided both the Forest Priests and the Sunset Clans.
[] [Beyond] They traded with both the Forest Priests and the Sunset Clans.
[] [Beyond] They raided the Forest Priests, but they traded with the Sunset Clans.
[] [Beyond] They traded with the Forest Priests, but they raided the Sunset Clans.
Beyond dealing with outsiders, the People also had internal matters to deal. Over the generations since the loss of Oldshore and the subjugated of the Sunset Tribes, a group within the People rose to authority amongst the villagers of Newshore as they became the dominant faction of the People.
Which faction rose to prominence and influence amongst the People?
[] [Faction] The Shamans.
[] [Faction] The Traders.
[] [Faction] The Hunters.
[] [Faction] The Elders.
[] [Faction] The Chiefs.
***
So we are halfway through the prologue/civilisation creation. You have defeated the Sunset Tribes and have now met all of the other civs that are nearby. While not specifically hostiles to you, the Oldlanders and Stormfolk have a martial culture and will regularly raid everyone, including themselves and each other, and that now includes you.
The Forest Spirits and Sunset Clans are more peaceful and lack the martial traditions of the other civs you have encountered. There was going to be another peaceful civ, but they got gobbed up by the Stormfolk and Oldlanders before you got to meet them.
Now you get to pick your diplomatic stances and which faction will have the most influence and authority within the People. Next vote will be government type and the list of possible options will be influenced by what options are picked here.
Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.
