From Stone to the Stars

Redium · Feb 4, 2018

Welcome to the 3rd spiritual successor to AcademiaNut's wildly popular Paths of Civilizations. Unlike PoC, Settlers of (Yu)Catan, and From the Cradle of the Neolithic, the system used in this quest will be significantly more focused on pure narrative. There are still numbers under the hood, but those will be things that help me keep track of narrative factors. PoC and SoY are supremely math intense and I am not keen on emphasizing that. I want this game to be something that is accessible to everyone who's interested in playing instead of being dominated by an elite few who can grasp the mechanics and plans become arcane.

With that in mind, there are a few things that everyone should know before we start:

Actions form the narrative

Actions are not discrete things. They are cumulative and can influence how the narrative develops. There's also 'memory' from previous turns. Constantly building in a certain direction will make you better and better in that area of focus. View actions not only in the sense of what they do, but in how they relate to the totality of your civilization. A Hunting action and a Enlarge Herds action are more effective than either would be separately. A Build Wall action and Hunt wouldn't have any special effects. Think about how things intersect. There are bonuses for fairly unusual combinations.

Narrative informs actions

Having certain Values, Traits, Technologies, or Religions will influence how your actions express themselves. If you're a pacifist faction, your diplomacy options will be conciliatory and submissive; if you're warlike they will be bold and aggressive. If you don't like the direction your civilization is heading, then you'll have to bite the bullet and take a long slog against the natural grain. This will have consequences. Fighting too aggressively against the narrative as it exists in the world will cause major problems.

The GM is always available to clarify (IC) options

People in earlier times thought in different ways. They were no less intelligent, but the reasons that they did things could often seem obtuse or counter-intuitive. A lot of the assumptions that we implicitly take for granted are simply not true in different contexts. Something that sounds like a bad choice is often the most optimal one that could be achieved with available resources.

Communicate with each other

Discuss options. Everyone has a different view point. The more you commit to thinking through the available options, the more likely you are to see effective synergies. I feel like I should emphasize this point more, but I'm not sure what to say. Focus on every option, considering things in the totality and try and approach problems from different perspectives.

This will be difficult

Civilization is a lot of work. Some have lasted for a thousand years, others for only a few minutes. Areas of the world have maintained cultural continuity while utterly collapsing on an organization level for long periods of time. Cultures have been wiped out or radically altered under the onslaught of war, natural disaster and disease. Continuity and stability are extremely important factors to consider when developing your civilization. Without them, everything you build will crumble like dust in the wind. Even if you do everything right, you can still lose.

Have fun

As of this writing, PoC has nearly 70 staff interventions. That is one record I am happy to leave to AcademiaNut. People are obviously into the game, but I want people to be able to enjoy this game. Keep the language respectful, vitriol bottled, and knives firmly sheathed. Civilization is the act of working together to build something in a world where everything is trying to tear it down. Fighting each other will literally only make things more difficult.

Known Mechanics

People of outstanding skill and great worth, Heroes are more skilled than their common counterparts. Specialized in a specific field (Administration, Diplomacy, Martial) they are often people who would be recorded in the history books.

A Hero provides a free innovation roll related to their specialty every turn them live and sometimes give unique opportunities or extra actions beyond what you would normally receive. They also greatly increase the impact of high rolls and mitigate the effects of low ones.

The downside of Heroes is that these important people are often willful and opinionated. They may veto certain options they go against their specialty. They also can take actions — even a whole turn — away from the players. These action choices are usually optimized along the Heroes' specialty but you'll get back control once the Heroes dies.

When Heroes take over a turn depends on your government type and certain other factors. Currently, Diplomacy Heroes automatically take over the turn. As your civilization develops and goes in a warlike direction, Martial Heroes can take over. Civilizations with massive bureaucracies or a high level of Hierarchy are vulnerable to Administration Heroes.

In the Neolithic Age, obtaining food was a constant struggle. Often times, some activities were simply a net loss of calories. Until the situation changes and your food throughput stabilizes, Econ is set into a tier system that must be manually regenerated.

Most activities do not drive you up or down. Building a Palisade or Shrine costs one tier of surplus, building a Settlement costs two.

Expand Hunting will grant one extra and Expand Agriculture will grant a temporary one that becomes permanent on a climate roll >50. Manage Forest does not yet increase Econ tier. Great Climate (>70) will provide one free Econ Tier of its own. Epic Climate (>85) will provide two.

Econ Tiers: Famine < Severe Starvation < Starvation < Hungry < Edge of Hunger < Tiny Surplus < Small Surplus < Moderate Surplus < Large Surplus < The Food Rots Before We Eat It!

During a Trend, a specific type of trade good becomes significantly more profitable than it would normally be. Trends are generally transitory, but during that time can be extremely powerful for whomever controls the source of the trending good. Leading traders get twice the normal profit. Dominant ones get three times the benefit. Based on the current economic type, trends boost diplomacy. After currency is invented, they will boost wealth. Factions wanting a Trend Good, but being unable to obtain them, for whatever reason, will suffer Stability damage.
Trigger: Trade good is in great demand by 1 Regional Power, 3 regular powers, OR 5 minor powers.
Effect: Leading traders get double profit, Dominant ones triple; Stability damage for recipient powers who can't obtain the trending good

In order to deal with an imbalance of trade, a Faction has entered an unorthodox trade arrangement. This arrangement involves trading technology or other valuable ideas in order to fulfill this demand. This trade may be severed at any time by the one offering technology, but there is often a reason why they are forced into this position. Retribution may be swift for breaking such agreements.
Effects: Unorthodox Trade Recipients gain 1 innovation roll each turn with technologies taken from the unorthodox trader's entire technology list
Trigger: Lose a war; trade imbalance; diplomatic action

Redium · Feb 4, 2018

From Stone to the Stars

Civilization Stats

General
Craftworks: Tiny Surplus (Equilibrium)
Diplomacy: Small Surplus
Luxuries: Tiny Deficit (Tiny Deficit)
Magic: Small Surplus (Tiny Surplus)
Material: Tiny Surplus (Equilibrium)
Martial: Moderate Surplus (Small Surplus)
Mysticism: Small Surplus
Staples: Equilibrium (Equilibrium)

Farmers: At Capacity
Fishermen: Significant Capacity Remaining
Herdsmen: Extreme Capacity Remaining
Huntsmen: At Capacity

Endurance
Stability: Promising
Legitimacy: Inspired!
Prestige: 38
???

Organizational
Centralization: 1
Hierarchy: 3
Religious Authority: 5.25
Specialization: 4

Trade

Trade Good	Status	Competitors
Luxuries
Common Pottery	Competing	Island Makers
Dyes	Little	Peace Builders, South Reach
Furs	Significant	Everyone
Gems	Dominant (Pearl Divers)	South Reach, Pearl Divers, Soft Eyes
Ivory	Dominant	None
Medicine	Little	Peace Builders
Strategic
Obsidian	Dominant	None
Salt	None	Pearl Divers
Slaves	No Export	Peace Builders, Hardfoot
Stone	Competing	Everyone
Cultural
Pilgrimage	Dominant	Peace Builders

Government Type

Ancient Aristocracy

The word Aristocrat tells everything that you need to know about the People's leaders; they are the best. Trained from birth, this class provides the People with their leadership and their guidance. Taller, stronger, and smarter than many of their peers, the aristocrats demonstrate that not everyone is equipped to lead and to succeed. Despite that, these aristocrats work together to represent the People as a whole and guide them as best their wisdom allows.
Pros: Development occurs organically and rapidly, increased average leadership skill, increased governmental and cultural stability
Cons: Does not deal with with high Hierarchy, beware intra-aristocrat conflicts

Economic Type

Internal Gift Economy/External Barter

Just as the People lend their voices to their chosen leaders, they also entrust gifts unto them. The People know that their leaders will put their gifts to best use within the People. As they pay up, there is an expectation that rewards then flow down to them.
Centralization Range: Very Low -> Low
Specialization Range: Very Low
Hierarchy Range: Very Low
Religious Authority Range: Very Low
Stat Damage Resistance: Damage - Centralization/3
Normal Actions: 3 Actions
Extra Actions: 3 Empowerment Actions
Special: Vassals = Prestige/10

Status

Trending Trade Good: Salt
The People have found an unending desire for a specific trade good. In order to satisfy demand, they are currently purchasing it for twice as much as it would normally cost.
Effects: Double Effects of Salt Trade Dominance

Dissatisfied Faction (The Fingers)
An element within the People has grown increasingly dissatisfied with how the People are being run. They demand change and if there desires continue to go unmet, they may eventually take things into their own hands.
Resolve: Build a Hill and ~~Temple~~ in Fingers
Effects: Escalating Legitimacy hit until demands are met, crisis triggered at ??? Stability.

Settlement Extended Projects

Crystal Lake: Brick Walls (Significant), Fire Relay, Hill Top, Temple (Ember-Eyes)
Fingers: Brick Walls (Significant), Fire Relay, Temple (Frost-Scarred), Trade Hub
Hill Guard: Brick Walls (Significant) Hill Top, Temple (Fangs)
Cave of Stars: Brick Walls (Significant), Fire Relay, Temple (Cave of Stars)
Arrow Lake: Brick Walls (Significant) Temple (???)

Values

Social Values (2/2)

Elitism Lv. 2
Among the People, it is not a goal, but an obligation to be the best that you can be. Those who are gifted become exalted by their peers, recognized far and wide as people of respect. To be great among the People is to be like no one ever was.
Effects:

Increased effects of elite units
Increased generations of unique Traditions
General increase in competence
Increased social stratification
Increased Cost for many actions

Vendetta Lv. 2.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. That's why, when someone puts out one of your eyes, you blind them in both. Justice is protection and the end to violence, discord, and disorder through swift and firm action.
Effects:

Punishment is always harsh, but it is the final word that can be said.
Increased generation of a criminal underclass

Honour Values (2/2)

Might Makes RightLv. 2.
When the People hunt beasts, their arrows are set vertically; when they hunt other tribes, their arrows are set horizontally — all the better to spear through an unsuspecting target's ribs. Violence is a fact of life to the People. The question is not: "Why use violence?", but "When can violence be used?" It is another tool within their arsenal to respond to the world and among all the tools they wield, it is a keen one indeed.
Effects:

The consequences of violence are more tolerable
Interpersonal violence becomes more common
Increased martial skill, especially amount professionals and specialists
People are seen as intimidating
Martial skill is desirable
Violence is an acceptable solution to problems.

Familialism
From birth and until death, the People are surrounded by family. Whenever someone needs help, their family will be there for them. When hurt, lost or hungry, family will provide. To many, they would not consider themselves individual, but as a part of a greater family. Both their kin, their kith, but also the People as a whole.
Effects:

Increased social cohesion, especially among the People's elites
Increased tenacity in defensive wars
Increased Hero generation in defensive wars
Increased nepotism
Decreased chance to discover social ills

Spiritual Values (2/2)

Ordeals Lv. 2.
Tests and trials are a way of life for the People. They separate corns from the husk and the weak from the capable. Those who struggle and overcome the opposition of men and spirits are the ones that the People should look to for guidance. The spirits have put them through the crucible and refined them into something great. Those who prove themselves by overcoming adversity are righteous.
Effects:

People are more willing to endure hardship
Can spend stability to complete two of the same action at once
Increased appreciation for first hand experience
People demoralized by failure
Refusal to change course during difficult times.

Mastery of Nature
The spirits have placed countless wonders across the world and it is the People's responsibility to find and safeguard these locations. Through laborious toil, these fonts of spiritual power can be augmented and empowered, turned into sources of power available to the People. It is through measures like this that the People and their spirits can work together and remain strong.
Effects:

Wonders are more effective than normal
The natural world is greatly boosted by artificial intervention
Must master nature wherever possible
Increased costs and ritualization

Traits

Adult Trials
In order to be considered an adult, and thus have a voice worth hearing, it is important for the People to pass a trial. Officially standardized, these trials are different for men and for women. In order to be considered a man, a boy must be able to carry his own weight within society. Currently, defined as being able to produce more food than you eat, this is a popular and easy to define measure. In order for a girl to become a woman, she must survive the ordeal of childbirth and have children. An expected part of life for all girls, this metric greatly increases their franchise and influence relative to men.
Effects: Increase competence; empower women; prejudice against disability; ???

Bloodline Inheritance
There is something within each person that carries skill and knowledge, this fact is self-evident to the People and it is best to cultivate these unique talents from birth. The best potter is the one who learns at the knee of their father and mother; playing at their side with clay castoffs and helping them fulfill their duties. There are exceptions of course, some individuals do not carry the skill of their fore-bearers. These embarrassments are ruthlessly replaced for the shame they bring to their families. Bloodlines that fail to replace their own are weeded out in turn, just as the master hunter carefully culls the weak in a herd to protect it.
Effects: Increase the Specialization cap by 100%, raise the Hierarchy cap by 50%

Consequential Punishment
The People have decreed that all actions which lead the People to harm must be punished. One need not intend to harm the People, one simply needs to just make it so. Acting within the bounds of law or duty offer no protection when a convict is ruled against by their local Big Man. Doing nothing and allowing harm to befall the People is also no defense. The only defense against these charges are to always be lucky, be on your best behaviour, or on the good side of the judge.
Effects: Greatly empowers the Big Man in legal disagreements, granting wide ranging powers to punish outcasts, incompetents, and the unfortunate

Divorce
The People recognize that even the most intimate and sacred of bonds may be severed. This is a difficult process and one often seldom undertaken, for who should break asunder that which was once one? So far, the People only recognize the cause of a woman's infidelity as grounds to initiate divorce. Children born of a union between man and woman are property of the husband's family, unless disowned.
Effects: Female promiscuity, bastardy stigmatized, children from divorce belong to their father's family

Exogamy (Male)
Incest is relative and it's something that all right thinking humans avoid. This is often difficult due to small settlement sizes or due to uncertainty with respect to paternity. In order to combat this phenomena, men are greatly encouraged to leave their place of birth to join distant kin in another settlement founded by the People. While tough, it is necessary for the health of every future child born into the People.
Effects: Improves general public health, greatly increased matriarchal tendencies, increased internal unity, increased spawn rate of adventurers.

Indentured Labour
The People acknowledge the foremost importance of debts. Most of the time, these debts are unspoken; promises of labour, favours, gifts, and other services the make the rounds, greasing the economy as it exists. Sometimes, though, someone proves unworthy of the implicit trust the People as a whole invest in them. When that occurs, a council lead by a Big Man will acknowledge the unworthy's debts as forfeit. They are then tasked to work on behalf of all the People, as directed by the Big Man, until their debts are recognized as fulfilled.
Effects: Labour may be compelled for those who have unpaid debts.

Captive Labour
Enemies captured on the field of battle are not slain nor are they allowed to retreat freely by the People, instead they are captured. Work is forced upon them due to lack of resources requiring every mouth to work. These captives can also serve as hostages to exchange in war.
Effects: Debtors may be captured in war.

Holy Order: Ember-Eyes
Deep in the People's history, the Ember-Eyes were born. Based out of the Shrine of the Fingers, they claim descent from from those who fought in the most ancient wars. They specialize in the use of fire and night-fighting, skills supposedly learned at the foot of the spirits themselves.
Effects: Fire can be deliberately used as a weapon of war

Holy Order: Fangs
Just like the teeth of a wolf are the first to enter the flesh of the prey, so too do the People's Fangs enter the flesh of their enemies. Based out of the Shrine of Crystal Lake, these skirmishers train extensively with dogs in order to better serve as elite woodsmen and skirmishers.
Effects: Increase efficacy of skirmish units

Holy Order: Frost-Scarred
The winter is a terrible, biting, cutting thing. Snow to bury you, ice to burn you, and cold to tear through your flesh like a knife. Of all of the dangers of the world, this one has claimed the most lives of all. Despite that, perhaps in spite of that, an Order has arisen to work against the natural domain of the world. The Frost-Scarred are hardy warriors, braving the cold where all rational men would flee to shelter.
Effects: Gain additional winter-subphase during wars

Weregild
In the old days, it was thought that only blood could wash out blood. Now, the People know better; recompense can come in many forms; labour, baubbles, food, it just needs to be enough to assuage the hurt and pay restitution to victims.
Effects: Instead of physical punishment, criminals may pay off their offenses with excess wealth.

Legacies

Collection Moste Holy (Three)
The People have developed numerous, unique religious traditions. Practices occult that would be the envy of the world. A source of pride and wonder, these treasured institutions are bulwarked against failure and destruction.
Effects: Lowered minimal threshold to maintain Holy Orders

Heroic Start!
The People are descendants of Heroes! Great men and women who have shaped their world according to their desires. Some are good, some are bad, but none can deny the People carry Greatness!
Effects: +1 to all Hero rolls

Hierarchy Tolerance
The People have peacefully transitioned for a more hierarchical form of government. They take pride in their ability to form complex societies.
Effects: +2 Hierarchy Tolerance

Primordial Law
The People's Law is of an ancient sort, far beyond recorded history. Nonetheless, the mores and values instilled by the stories, myths, and fables, are an enduring part of the People's legacy. In time, they will shift, but the underlying message; that the People's ancestors had entrusted their children with a great covenant of faith to truly make their own and develop with their own wisdom, was greatly reassuring.
Effects: Gain a one time Stability increase when completing a Social Reform megaproject.

Primordial Mystics
A great civilization, rich in Magic, the People have trained extensively in the mystic arts and the secrets of the spirits. It is a source of pride among the People to be skilled in the secret ways of the world and all put forward effort into ensuring that they understand.
Effect: Treat Mysticism bonus as 1 higher for all purposes.

Primordial Temple Builders
The first to truly turn superstitions of the spirits into religion, the People have gained an appreciation for the finer points of training religious thinkers, building religious structures, and creating the weft and weave of religion in a positive and constructive manner.
Effects: Gain Legitimacy and Stability when constructing new temples.

Religious Authority Tolerance
The People are used to having a powerful and influential religion. As such, they have been forced to develop tools to deal with troublesome and meddling priests.
Effects: +1 Religious Authority Tolerance

Rush Builders
Not only do the People go big, but they do so extremely quickly. They were the first to erect a great work within a single generation. None can doubt the ability of the People to create and do so quickly.
Effects: Reduce all building type megaproject length to two thirds.

Megaprojects

Great Trace -> Great Relay -> Fire Relay
Slowly, over time, the passage of the People wears away at the barriers of tree and root, stone and soil. By patience and effort, the People have cut a pathway across the land, creating a way where once there was none. This has been further augmented by numerous way stations that maintain messengers and a relay of fires, ready to be turned into smoke signals. Given the rustic nature of the trial, it increases the endurance and woodcraft knowledge of all of the People so long as the trial remains in use. Interconnection greatly increases, preventing cultural drift. In times of emergency, the beacons can be lit, and aid summoned.
Effects: Increased internal cohesion and communication. Greatly reduced emergency response time. Lowered civilization divergence. Increased development of symbolic language. Increased organization and application of resources.

The Hill
The People have created an unlikely monolith, a great mound rising from the ground. This hill is unlike everything else found in nature, it is a feature of the world completely man-made. Aside from being an immense defensive advantage, being able to make a well defended hill anywhere they would like, the People have also vastly increased their skills for working with earth. Agriculture, earth moving, or any similar task, or large scale and coordination, benefits from the skills the People developed as long as memory of this momentous event remains.
Effects: The People gain a bonus to all large scale earth moving projects. Able to construct Mottes to reinforce settlements.

Trials of Adulthood
Adulthood is a recognized time in the life of every one of the People. To be an adult means that you are self-sufficient. Someone that can hold and offer debts to others among the People. It means that your voice has worth and should be taken into account. Heavily standardized, these arcane rituals have become a rallying point for the People. A cultural artifact that binds all of them together in a way that differentiates them from outsiders. As long as the trials are regularly completed, the People will remember themselves and their history. No adult amongst the People could be one counted deficient.
Effects: The competence of all leaders, regardless of standing, is increased. Cultural unity increased.

The Hunt
A primal activity, the People have looked beyond the age old history of blood and death. Hunting is not a simple story with a beginning and an end, but a chord held in harmony with the world's great symphony. As long as the People remember their humility and their place in the symphony, there will always be a place for the People in the world of beasts.
Effects: Expand Hunting action upgraded to Manage Hunting and reveals the safe hunting cap. Defensive attrition increased.

The Law (Neolithic)
The People's code of laws are beyond ancient, more of a primordial mien, from a time that's literally lost to time. Primarily, the Law is a collection of codified stories, a canon that shows the People how to build a good life. While still open for further development, the Law goes a long way to creating a uniformity of culture and expectation of internal unity.
Effects: Increase Centralization cap by +1, grant access to Push Unity action, accelerate development of Culture resource, ???

Technology

Administration: Stone Age Council
Big Man Slate
Collective Decision Making
First Among Equals Council
Formalized Big Man Leadership

Construction: Earthenware Construction
Animal Glue
Bone
Earth
Fired Clay Brick
Lime
Structural Stone

Large Scale Stonecutting

Plant Fibers
Wood

Domesticated Animals: Early Domestication
Early Canine Companions
Tamed Orkers

Energy Production: Muscle and Fire
Canine Power
Fire

Charcoal
Lime
Kilns
Rock Boiling

Muscle Power

Farming Techniques: Refuse Reuse
Fish Gut Fertilizer
Horticulture

Food Production: Early Organized Crop Fields
Cultivation/Horticulture

Organized Plots
Corn
Pumpkin
Squash
Quinoa
Wild Rice

Fishing

Entrapment
Net
Spear

Gathering

Berries (Elderberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Cherries, Blackberries)
Condiments (Balsamroot, Evergreen)
Flowers (Fireweed, Sunflower)
Fruits (Plums, Persimmons, Grapes, Crabapples)
Nuts (Hickory, Walnut, Acorns, Hazelnut)
Vegetables (Beans, Fiddleheads)

Herding

Dogs
Caribou
Orker

Hunting

Canine assisted hunts
Safe Animals (Turkey, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians)
Prey Animals (Deer, Elk, etc.)
Prize Animals (Wolves, Bear, Orker)

Refined Foods

Maple Sugar
Spigot Collection

Traps

Bait
Conical Nets
Dead Fall
Pit
Snares

Food Storage: Potted Desiccation
Brewing
Covered Pots
Drying
Herding
Pemmican
Salt
Smoking
Sugaring

Magic: Primitive Exothermic Reactions
Fire
Lime
Lye

Materials: Stone and Obsidian
Bone
Flint
Ivory
Plant Fibers
Sinew
Stone

Amethyst
Citrine
Granite
Lapis Luzili
Limestone
Obsidian
Quartz

Terracotta
Wood

Music: Crude, Natural Instruments
Bone acoustic instruments
Chanting
Horns
Rhythmic drumming

Structures: Earthenware Construction
Brick Longhouse
Brick Wall

Firing Step
Rampart

Temples

Corbel Arches
Decorative Pillars

Techniques: Apprenticed Teaching
Binding
Carving
Fire shaping
Mortared Masonry

Tools/Weapons: Stone and Obsidian
Axe
Bone Armour
Fire
Knife
Macuahuitl
Rock Mace
Spear
Spear-Thrower
Sinew Flatbow
Quarterstaff
Wicker Shield (One Handed)

Transportation: Muscle Power
Birch Bark Canoes
Primitive Bone Skates
Dog Sleds (Winterized and Primitive Summer)
Rasbaska
Signal Fire Language
Snowshoes
Trace
Trailmarkers

Concepts

Authority: Distributed Collectivized Leadership
Collective Decision Making
Specialization

Administrators: Aristocratic
Aristocrats
Council

Entertainment: Idle Time Filler
Gambling
Practice Fights
Scrimshaw

Organization: Stone Age
Apprenticeships
Early Polygamy
Extended Kinship Groups
Monogamy

Property: Non-Personal Possession
Communal Property
Reciprocal Lending
Interpersonal Debts

Records: Ancient Records
Memory
Oral History
Symbolic Tally

Religion: Ancient Ancestor Worship/Animism
Ancestor Worship
Animism
Mystery Cults
Rituals
Shamans
Temples

Roles: Stone Age Craftsmen
Artisan
Aristocrat
Craftsman
Food Producer
Shaman

Science: Shamanistic Secrets
Great Spirits
Magic
Spirits

Warriors: Ancient Warrior Clans
Elite Holy Orders
Folk Wrestling
Professional Warriors

Research

Magic
Tally (100/100)

Abstract Tally (214/250)

Animism (50/50)

Gods and Deities (200/200)
Ancestor Worship (0/???)
Hero Cults (0/???)
Elementalism (58/???)

Celestial Patterns (125/125)

Fire
Bricks (350/350)
Charcoal Kilns (200/200)
Copper Smelting (247/300)

Life
Horticulture (100/100)

Arboriculture (300/300) (Paradigm Change: 3 Turns)
Maple Sap (200/200)
Increased Maple Sap (0/Hard)
Increased Food Production (0/Moderate)
Increased Timber Production (0/Moderate)
Coppicing (0/Easy)
Agriculture (175/175)
Three Sisters (579/600)
Basic Irrigation (0/Easy)

Beast
Herding (250/250)

Caribou Taming (400/400)
Caribou Domestication (600/600)
Climate Adaptation (0/Hard)
Increased Hair Production (0/Easy)
Increased Size (0/Moderate)
Mammoth Taming (367/400)

Hunting (25/25)

Dog Taming (150/150)
Dog Domestication (300/300)
Personal Dogs (0/Easy)
Hunting Dogs (0/Easy)
War Dogs (0/Moderate)
Herding Dogs (0/Moderate)
Orker Taming (400/400)
Orker Domestication (240/800)
Raven Taming (109/150)

Stone
Lime Plaster (75/75) [Stone]
Stonecutting (100/100) [Stone]

Elementary Geology (42/Hard) [Stone]
Masonry (65/Moderate) [Stone]

Travel
Dog Sleds (125/125)

Advanced Dog Sleds (150/150)

Winter Travel (50/50)
Traces (100/100)

Trails (200/200)
Roads (0/Very Hard)

Wheel (11/100)

Geography

Leader Board

The People! (Prestige: 38, Army: Hardened Neolithic Warriors and Holy Orders, Economy: Agriculture Supplemented with Hunting, Art: Sacred Construction and Advanced High Quality Tools, Magic: Fire, Stone, and Spirit)
Tribe of the West (Prestige: 29, Army: Numerous Professional Neolithic Warriors, Economy: Unprecedented Boom in Agriculture, Art: Innumerable Tools, Magic: All Things Alive)
Island Makers (Prestige: 20, Army: Elite Neolithic Warriors, Economy: Intense Early Agriculture, Art: Advanced Quality Tools, Magic: Earth and Water)
Peace Builders (Prestige: 19, Army: Fanatical Neolithic Warriors, Economy: Broad Agriculture and Aquaculture, Art: Ephemeral Crafts and Imported Advanced High Quality Tools, Magic: Of Song and Story)
Roundstone (Prestige: 18, Army: Professional Slingers, Economy: Extensive Aquaculture, Art: Cloth and Paint, Magic: Shouts)
Bond Breakers (Prestige: 17, Army: Organizing Militia, Economy: Early Agricultre, Art: Durable Weapons, Magic: Little)
Cracktooth (Prestige: 17, Army: Bloodthirsty Militia, Economy: Agrculture and Herding, Art: Tools of Terror, Magic: Bone and Beat)
Lakeland (Prestige: 16, Canoe Archers, Economy: Hunter-Gatherer, Art: Rugged Tools, Magic: Little)
Pearl Divers (Prestige: 14, Army: Informal Militia, Economy: Early Fishing and Aquaculture, Art: Beautified Dependable Tools, Magic: Sea and Salt)
Cateye (Prestige: 14, Army: Hit and Run, Economy: Hunter-Gatherer with Trade, Art: Glittering Gifts and Functional Tools, Magic: Corruption)
Arrow Lake (Prestige: 10, Army: Informal, Devastated Militia, Economy: Near Starvation, Art: Sacred Iconography, Magic: Stone and Slaves)
Stoutheart (Prestige: 1, Army: Organizing Militia, Economy: Subsistence Hunter-Gatherer, Art: Little, Magic: Little)
Hard Foot (Prestige: 1, Army: Angry Militia, Economy: Recovering, Art: Little, Magic: Little)
Soft Eyes (Prestige 1, Army: Coalescing Militia, Economy: On the Dole, Art: Little, Magic: Little)
River Tribe (Prestige: ?, Army: ?, Economy: ?, Art: ?, Magic ?)

Redium · Feb 23, 2018

Kadark said:
We're not boosting the Honored Elite value. Ever. Fuck the patricians.

I promised I would come back to his after work and here we are.

Now, stratification, where did it start? It's best to look at the epitome of stratification first: the King. For history, he (usually given human sexism, although, Poland did have a female King) was the end all and be all of temporal authority. His word was law and was often either inherently divine (God-Kings) or divinely inspired (Divine Right of Kings). The king held authority of life and death. If you trace the word "king" all the way back to its origins, you find it in the first city-states: Ur, Uruk, Babylon, etc. To them, King was merely a word that meant "Big Man".

So what's a Big Man? This is something that I think AcademiaNut misunderstood and misused in his game. In our game, for example, you've already had four of these Big Men: Alvar, Feodor, Lucjan, and Tymon. A Big Man is an informal position that some bands/tribes had. A Big Man had no official power. They couldn't censure people, they couldn't give orders, they couldn't punish; the only thing they could do was talk. They could bribe and cajole, but their only way of getting things done was by convincing people. This is a form of hierarchy that I'm pretty sure everyone (even Anarchists) is comfortable with.

So how did that end up creating Kings? It was a slow process. But an inevitable one.

Big Men constantly jockeyed for position against each other. Human bands and tribes often had multiple Big Men, all of whom were ambitious and charismatic and existed in parallel with equivalent 'authority'. You gained in prestige and authority as you managed to convince more people to follow you. This often involved making sure your people's needs were met (this meant not only food but sexual partners for the smaller men who followed the Big Man) and that everyone was kept safe. The system is intensely meritocratic. It's also extremely unstable.

Eventually, over time, the system tends to collapse. Big Men are suborned by other Big Men who in turn give their allegiance to bigger men. Having informal sway over a large portion of the population allows you to turn that into even more and more influence. Knowing people allows you to get more done. Interpersonal connections were the real currency of the Neolithic Age. This creates a runaway feedback loop. Even if all Big Men were equally skilled, simple chance would propel some to the top while others crash. The system if inherently unstable. It cannot persist.

So how do you force the Big Man system to self-propagate against its inherent collapse? Well, the easiest way is to start murdering each and every Hero you get. They're Big Men who won. Then you want to stamp our every hint of ambition. Someone wants to better their situation? Heresy. Someone makes the entire tribe laugh with funny jokes? Rip out their tongue. They could turn the positive feeling of humour into interpersonal connections almost immediately and eventually into kingship. Having too many friends is a sign that someone's becoming a Big Man. The very act of having friends makes you powerful. Chairman Mao said 'All political authority descends from the barrel of a gun;' he's not completely wrong. Power is the act of being able to mobilize people. If you have friends, getting them to do you a favour is easy. You can then leverage this as a broker of favours to get more friends and more favours. We are social animals and we are literally wired to do this.

This is literally how your in-game economy currently works.

People also naturally teach their children and pass down their social connections. Friends will likely have children that can grow up knowing each other and then eventually becomes friends on their own. Social connections (and thus power) are naturally transmitted down generational lines. Sure, education can help, but unless you're a moron education is something that any one can succeed at until you get to the highest levels of intellectual ability.

If you want to prevent this, the inquisition that destroys all interpersonal relationships will have to be run by somebody. Even if it's only an informal, ad-hoc council convincing the tribe to ostracize and murder outcast members. Hmm... this position sounds in no way like one that would attract an ambitious, powerful, and charismatic man. Stalin would cry tears of jealousy at the amount of authoritarian power necessary to do thus.

So now that we've established that Big Men are inherent in human societies and that these social systems tend to collapse inevitably into one with a single Big Man on top, how does that get us to Kingship? That's actually relatively easy. A system will one Big Men will probably have a number of Middle Men. These are all powerful, connected, and influential people, but they lost out the race for the top spot. If there's a dozen of them, then it's trivial for the Big Man on top to engineer disagreements and fights between the Middle Men. These Middle Men are then forced to jockey for the Big Man's favour in order to compete against the rivals. If the Middle Men all ganged up, they would trivially overthrow the Big Man, but none of them do.

Why not? This gets back to human psychology. People who have to compete against each other for resources will grow to hate each other. It fosters enmity and prevents them all from working together. There's also an element of risk assessment involved. Sure, if you flip the table, you could end up in charge, but you could also end up dead. That's a lot of risk for minimal gain. After all, as a Middle Man, you're not top dog, but you are very near the top. If you're playing blackjack, are you going to ask for another card when you're sitting at 20? Sure, you could do better, but it's extremely likely that you'll bust instead and lose everything.

Thus, the Middle Men are deadlocked against each other and the Big Man's position starts to calcify. Even if the Big Man is outmaneuvered, the one most likely to replace them is a Middle Man, the situation doesn't change much. This new system begins to stabilize at the top.

So what happens if a Little Man wanted to replace a Middle Man? That might happen. If the Little Man can defeat the Middle Man and then present himself as a replacement as a fait accompli. Since the Little Man won and became a Middle Man, the Big Man is likely to accept it. After all, he doesn't care about who the Middle Men are as long as they're divided and not all working against him. In fact, it can be beneficial for a Little Man to be promoted since they're likely weakened by their struggles and will need to rely on the Big Man for support. The new system begins to stabilize in the middle

For a Tiny Man, the situation is pretty different. The Tiny Man is really low on the totem pole. If he wants to try and replace the Little Man, he's trivial to crush. The Big Man can do this fairly easily on his own. Thus, very few of the Little Men will be replaced by Tiny Men. Even a Middle Man could easily crush a Tiny Man. They're likely even good to do so. After all, if a Tiny Man tries to beat a Little Man, what's to say they won't grow to try and beat a Middle Man? Thus, the top of the system manages to keep the bottom of the system in line. This system inherently stabilizes at the bottom.

Now it's possible for all of the Tiny Men to team up (i.e. the Baron's War and the Magna Carta) but there are likely a lot of Tiny Men. How are they going to all team up?

Over time the system will continue to calcify, becoming more and more like a noble-run society. I mean, the language just changes: Big Man = King, Middle Man = Duke, Little Man = Count/Marquis, Tiny Man = Baron. This system is inherently stabilizing at every level. It's basically evolution; a stable system is better at propagating itself than an unstable system. There's no way to escape it. Trying to fight the system is exactly as fruitless and impossible as trying to fight evolution (descent with modification over time).

If anything, having an Elite trait line helps with the (likely unstated) goal of being meritocratic. If people have to be the best they can be, they can be demoted for incompetence faster. If no one cares about competence, then Big, Middle, or Little Men tend to drift along without being challenged as seriously. If you don't have an Elite trait, social stratification will continue to develop. It's unavoidable. If you fight it, eventually your civilization will explode under the strain. All of the survivors will then automatically pick up additional stratification after they crawl out of the Dark Age you caused. Hierarchy gained in that way is likely to be extremely harsh compared to that which arises naturally.

Even in the modern day, social stratification exists. Perhaps more so than many people think and, arguably, to a greater degree than any time in history.

(Sorry for anyone who thought this alert would be an update.)

Japanime said:
@Redium Can we have confirmation? Is there are Palisade at the Fingers settlement or was that burned down?

The Fingers palisade burned down with the rest of the Fingers settlement.

Also, could people clean up their votes? Elected Representatives is technically winning, but Plan Consolidate has 2 extra votes that aren't counted with it. Correcting the vote will change who wins.

Redium · Aug 10, 2018

From Stone to the Stars Version 2.0

This system update is primarily going to show the new stats and what they mean in the context of the front page. I'll present things section by section and then give a break down of what they mean. Italicized sections are there to help in aiding understanding. They will not actually appear on the front page.

Civilization Stats

General
Craftworks: Tiny Surplus (Tiny Deficit)
Diplomacy: Small Surplus
Luxuries: Tiny Surplus (Tiny Deficit)

Specific Luxuries in Demand: Beer

Magic: Small Surplus
Material: Moderate Deficit (Moderate Deficit)

Specific Materials Needed: Clay, Wood

Martial: Moderate Surplus (Small Surplus)
Mysticism: Moderate Surplus
Staples: Small Surplus (Equilibrium)

Arboriculture: Coming Soon
Farmers: Near Capacity [???]
Fishermen: Significant Capacity Remaining [Significant Capacity Remaining]
Gatherers: Some Capacity Remaining
Herdsmen: Coming Soon
Huntsmen: Half Capacity Remaining [Some Capacity Remaining]

What do the Stats represent?

Craftworks: A general accounting of manufactured goods and other things of skilled making; pottery, tools, weapons, bricks, etc. These are secondary or tertiary products that tend to see their final use.

Diplomacy: How much other tribes want to interact with you. Any surplus means that you attract more than you scare away. The magnitude of the surplus provides a bonus to any interaction rolls with other civilizations

Luxuries: How much the People have access to the good things in life: alcohol, dyes, spices, sugar, fine textiles, etc. The higher you manage to raise this stat, the more that the People will eventually come to expect. Your demand for luxuries will grow with time. Luxuries are great at making people happy.

Magic: Represents the amount of skilled, intellectual labour that you have access to. In the modern day, these types of professions would be highly educated ones; engineers, doctors, midwives, etc. They are very much on the practical or professional side of the intellectual spectrum.

Material: Is your current access to raw materials. Primarily, right now, that's obsidian, lumber, clay, crystal and stone. In the future this will include things like copper, iron, bronze, marble, rubber, etc. Any type of unfinished good used to make something else would be recorded here. The subsection here notes materials that your civilization is in specific need of. While Materials are a category are completely interchangeable, their source does matter. Since you use a lot of brick, you need more clay. Increasing your Arborists (and thus the amount of wood you make) will mean that you slowly start transitioning away from bricks to using wood.

Mysticism: The 'pure science' side of intellectual labour. These individuals would be philosophers, scientists, theorists and analysts in the modern day. Needless to say, this stat greatly influences your research rate. It is also generally very hard to raise.

Staples: Are food and other basic everyday necessities. The sub-sections underneath food show you roughly how much space you still have to expand within your current territory. Once you hit that cap, you'll either need to innovate or capture territory from elsewhere. Running out of Staples tends to do Bad Things.

Why are some of these in parenthesis?

The values outside of the parenthesis are the actual balance of resources that you can muster right now in totality. The section in parenthesis shows what's generally accessible to the average person. You may not be able to muster your full resources because of supply limits, transportation difficulties, weather, technological or communication limits, etc. Deficits caused by this aren't as bad as if they were a deficit of the actual Stat, but they do cause problems. Especially if you run low on Staples.

Note the hard brackets [ ] as well. Those indicate limits that you can exceed, but will begin causing long-term damage to that particular resource. If you have to exceed it, it's fine, but if you exceed it for too long, people will begin to wonder why it was a limit at all.

Endurance
Stability: Happy
Legitimacy: Inspired!
Prestige: 35
???

Why does his section look the same but work completely differently?

This section has changed a lot despite looking the same. Stability now is on a number line from -100 to 100. At your current level of understanding you can peg it as 'Happy' which is a positive value, but nowhere near the cap. There are certain (currently hidden) thresholds on this number line. Going to low will trigger issues with factions, possibly leading to rebellion if left unhandled. High stability levels increase your civilizations general happiness and productivity, potentially leading to a true Golden Age.

Note: Low Stability isn't strictly bad. While risky, it does give you the opportunity to begin address issues that are cropping up in your civilization. A controlled low Stability dive will be necessary to resolve some issues before they explode.

Legitimacy has been completely repurposed. It now describes the general trajectory that your Stability is travelling. Inspired! means that it's increasing rapidly. Negative words show a more downward trend over time.

Prestige still remains the same.

Organizational
Centralization: 2
Hierarchy: 3
Religious Authority: 3.75
Specialization: 4

This section is unchanged. Things are basically unchanged until Technology/Concepts.

Trade

Trade Good	Status	Competitors
Luxuries
Common Pottery	Leading	Island Makers
Dyes	Little	Peace Builders, Island Makers
Furs	Substantial	Everyone
Gems	Dominant (Arrow Lake, Pearl Divers, Island Makers)	Arrow Lake, Pearl Divers, Island Makers
Ivory	Leading (Northlands)	Northlands
Medicine	Little	Peace Builders
Strategic
Obsidian	Dominant	None
Salt	None	Pearl Divers
Slaves	No Export	Peace Builders, Mountain Clans
Stone	Competing	Arrow Lake, Everyone
Cultural
Pilgrimage	Dominant	Peace Builders

Government Type

Ancient Aristocracy

The word Aristocrat tells everything that you need to know about the People's leaders; they are the best. Trained from birth, this class provides the People with their leadership and their guidance. Taller, stronger, and smarter than many of their peers, the aristocrats demonstrate that not everyone is equipped to lead and to succeed. Despite that, these aristocrats work together to represent the People as a whole and guide them as best their wisdom allows.
Pros: Development occurs organically and rapidly, increased average leadership skill, increased cultural stability
Cons: Does not deal with with high Hierarchy, beware intra-aristocrat conflicts

Economic Type

Internal Gift Economy/External Barter

Just as the People lend their voices to their chosen leaders, they also entrust gifts unto them. The People know that their leaders will put their gifts to best use within the People. As they pay up, there is an expectation that rewards then flow down to them.
Centralization Range: Very Low -> Low
Specialization Range: Very Low
Hierarchy Range: Very Low
Religious Authority Range: Very Low
Stat Damage Resistance: Damage - Centralization/3
Normal Actions: 3 Actions
Extra Actions: 3 Empowerment Actions
Special: Vassals = Prestige/10

Status

Trending Trade Good: Salt
The People have found an unending desire for a specific trade good. In order to satisfy demand, they are currently purchasing it for twice as much as it would normally cost.
Effects: Double Effects of the Salt trade resource

Settlement Extended Projects

Crystal Lake: Brick Walls (Significant), Fire Relay, Hill Top, Temple (Ember-Eyes)
Fingers: Brick Walls (Significant), Fire Relay, Shrine (Frost-Scarred), Trade Hub
Hill Guard: Brick Walls (Significant) Hill Top, Sugar Shack, Temple (Fangs)
Cave of Stars (Unofficial): Temple (Cave of Stars)

Values

Social Values (3 Levels)

Elitism Lv. 2
Among the People, it is not a goal, but an obligation to be the best that you can be. Those who are gifted become exalted by their peers, recognized far and wide as people of respect. To be great among the People is to be like no one ever was.
Effects:

Increased effects of elite units
Increased generations of unique Traditions
General increase in competence
Increased social stratification
Increased Cost for many actions

Vendetta Lv. 1.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. That's why, when someone puts out one of your eyes, you blind them in both. Justice is protection and the end to violence, discord, and disorder through swift and firm action.
Effects:

Punishment is always harsh, but it is the final word that can be said.
Increased generation of a criminal underclass

Honour Values (3 Levels)

Might Makes Right Lv. 2.
When the People hunt beasts, their arrows are set vertically; when they hunt other tribes, their arrows are set horizontally — all the better to spear through an unsuspecting target's ribs. Violence is a fact of life to the People. The question is not: "Why use violence?", but "When can violence be used?" It is another tool within their arsenal to respond to the world and among all the tools they wield, it is a keen one indeed.
Effects:

The consequences of violence are more tolerable
Interpersonal violence becomes more common
Increased martial skill, especially amount professionals and specialists
People are seen as intimidating
Martial skill is desirable
Violence is an acceptable solution to problems.

Familialism Lv. 1.
From birth and until death, the People are surrounded by family. Whenever someone needs help, their family will be there for them. When hurt, lost or hungry, family will provide. To many, they would not consider themselves individual, but as a part of a greater family. Both their kin, their kith, but also the People as a whole.
Effects:

Increased social cohesion, especially among the People's elites
Increased tenacity in defensive wars
Increased Hero generation in defensive wars
Increased nepotism
Decreased chance to discover social ills

Spiritual Values (3 Levels)

Ordeals Lv. 2.
Tests and trials are a way of life for the People. They separate corns from the husk and the weak from the capable. Those who struggle and overcome the opposition of men and spirits are the ones that the People should look to for guidance. The spirits have put them through the crucible and refined them into something great. Those who prove themselves by overcoming adversity are righteous.
Effects:

People are more willing to endure hardship
Can spend stability to complete two of the same action at once
Increased appreciation for first hand experience
People demoralized by failure
Refusal to change course during difficult times.

Mastery of Nature Lv. 1.
The spirits have placed countless wonders across the world and it is the People's responsibility to find and safeguard these locations. Through laborious toil, these fonts of spiritual power can be augmented and empowered, turned into sources of power available to the People. It is through measures like this that the People and their spirits can work together and remain strong.
Effects:

Wonders are more effective than normal
The natural world is greatly boosted by artificial intervention
Must master nature wherever possible
Increased costs and ritualization

Traits

Adoption
Family is of critical importance to the People; who can you trust if not them? Men can pick their wives and women can pick their husbands; can a man not name someone his brother or a woman her sister?
Effects: Increased average competence of leaders, increased generation of Heroes, ossification of First Families as leaders

Adult Trials
In order to be considered an adult, and thus have a voice worth hearing, it is important for the People to pass a trial. Officially standardized, these trials are different for men and for women. In order to be considered a man, a boy must be able to carry his own weight within society. Currently, defined as being able to produce more food than you eat, this is a popular and easy to define measure. In order for a girl to become a woman, she must survive the ordeal of childbirth and have children. An expected part of life for all girls, this metric greatly increases their franchise and influence relative to men.
Effects: Increase competence; empower women; prejudice against disability; ???

Bloodline Inheritance
There is something within each person that carries skill and knowledge, this fact is self-evident to the People and it is best to cultivate these unique talents from birth. The best potter is the one who learns at the knee of their father and mother; playing at their side with clay castoffs and helping them fulfill their duties. There are exceptions of course, some individuals do not carry the skill of their fore-bearers. These embarrassments are ruthlessly replaced for the shame they bring to their families. Bloodlines that fail to replace their own are weeded out in turn, just as the master hunter carefully culls the weak in a herd to protect it.
Effects: Increase the Specialization cap by 100%, raise the Hierarchy cap by 50%

Divorce
The People recognize that even the most intimate and sacred of bonds may be severed. This is a difficult process and one often seldom undertaken, for who should break asunder that which was once one? So far, the People only recognize the cause of a woman's infidelity as grounds to initiate divorce. Children born of a union between man and woman are property of the husband's family, unless disowned.
Effects: Female promiscuity, bastardy stigmatized, children from divorce belong to their father's family

Indentured Labour
The People acknowledge the foremost importance of debts. Most of the time, these debts are unspoken; promises of labour, favours, gifts, and other services the make the rounds, greasing the economy as it exists. Sometimes, though, someone proves unworthy of the implicit trust the People as a whole invest in them. When that occurs, a council lead by a Big Man will acknowledge the unworthy's debts as forfeit. They are then tasked to work on behalf of all the People, as directed by the Big Man, until their debts are recognized as fulfilled.
Effects: Labour may be compelled for those who have unpaid debts.

Captive Labour
Enemies captured on the field of battle are not slain nor are they allowed to retreat freely by the People, instead they are captured. Work is forced upon them due to lack of resources requiring every mouth to work. These captives can also serve as hostages to exchange in war.

Holy Order: Ember-Eyes
Deep in the People's history, the Ember-Eyes were born. Based out of the Temple of the Crystal Lake, they claim descent from from those who fought in the most ancient wars. They specialize in the use of fire and night-fighting, skills supposedly learned at the foot of the spirits themselves.
Effects: Fire can be deliberately used as a weapon of war, improved Fire study actions

Holy Order: Fangs
Just like the teeth of a wolf are the first to enter the flesh of the prey, so too do the People's Fangs enter the flesh of their enemies. Based out of the Temple of Hill Guard, these skirmishers train extensively with dogs in order to better serve as elite woodsmen and skirmishers.
Effects: Increase efficacy of skirmish units, improved Beast study actions

Holy Order: Frost-Scarred
The winter is a terrible, biting, cutting thing. Snow to bury you, ice to burn you, and cold to tear through your flesh like a knife. Of all of the dangers of the world, this one has claimed the most lives of all. Despite that, perhaps in spite of that, an Order has arisen to work against the natural domain of the world. The Frost-Scarred are hardy warriors, braving the cold where all rational men would flee to shelter.
Effects: Gain additional winter-subphase during wars, improved Life study actions

Weregild
In the old days, it was thought that only blood could wash out blood. Now, the People know better; recompense can come in many forms; labour, baubbles, food, it just needs to be enough to assuage the hurt and pay restitution to victims.
Effects: Instead of physical punishment, criminals may pay off their offenses with excess wealth.

Legacies

Collection Moste Holy (Three)
The People have developed numerous, unique religious traditions. Practices occult that would be the envy of the world. A source of pride and wonder, these treasured institutions are bulwarked against failure and destruction.
Effects: Lowered minimal threshold to maintain Holy Orders

Heroic Start!
The People are descendants of Heroes! Great men and women who have shaped their world according to their desires. Some are good, some are bad, but none can deny the People carry Greatness!
Effects: +1 to all Hero rolls

Hierarchy Tolerance
The People have peacefully transitioned for a more hierarchical form of government. They take pride in their ability to form complex societies.
Effects: +2 Hierarchy Tolerance

Primordial Law
The People's Law is of an ancient sort, far beyond recorded history. Nonetheless, the mores and values instilled by the stories, myths, and fables, are an enduring part of the People's legacy. In time, they will shift, but the underlying message; that the People's ancestors had entrusted their children with a great covenant of faith to truly make their own and develop with their own wisdom, was greatly reassuring.
Effects: Gain a one time Stability increase when completing a Social Reform megaproject.

Primordial Mystics
A great civilization, rich in Magic, the People have trained extensively in the mystic arts and the secrets of the spirits. It is a source of pride among the People to be skilled in the secret ways of the world and all put forward effort into ensuring that they understand.
Effect: Treat Mysticism bonus as 1 higher for all purposes.

Primordial Temple Builders
The first to truly turn superstitions of the spirits into religion, the People have gained an appreciation for the finer points of training religious thinkers, building religious structures, and creating the weft and weave of religion in a positive and constructive manner.
Effects: Gain Legitimacy and Stability when constructing new temples.

Religious Authority Tolerance
The People are used to having a powerful and influential religion. As such, they have been forced to develop tools to deal with troublesome and meddling priests.
Effects: +1 Religious Authority Tolerance

Rush Builders
Not only do the People go big, but they do so extremely quickly. They were the first to erect a great work within a single generation. None can doubt the ability of the People to create and do so quickly.
Effects: Reduce all building type megaproject length to two thirds.

Megaprojects

Great Trace -> Great Relay -> Fire Relay
Slowly, over time, the passage of the People wears away at the barriers of tree and root, stone and soil. By patience and effort, the People have cut a pathway across the land, creating a way where once there was none. This has been further augmented by numerous way stations that maintain messengers and a relay of fires, ready to be turned into smoke signals. Given the rustic nature of the trial, it increases the endurance and woodcraft knowledge of all of the People so long as the trial remains in use. Interconnection greatly increases, preventing cultural drift. In times of emergency, the beacons can be lit, and aid summoned.
Effects: Increased internal cohesion and communication. Greatly reduced emergency response time. Lowered civilization divergence. Increased development of symbolic language. Increased organization and application of resources.

The Hill
The People have created an unlikely monolith, a great mound rising from the ground. This hill is unlike everything else found in nature, it is a feature of the world completely man-made. Aside from being an immense defensive advantage, being able to make a well defended hill anywhere they would like, the People have also vastly increased their skills for working with earth. Agriculture, earth moving, or any similar task, or large scale and coordination, benefits from the skills the People developed as long as memory of this momentous event remains.
Effects: The People gain a bonus to all large scale earth moving projects. Able to construct Mottes to reinforce settlements.

Trials of Adulthood
Adulthood is a recognized time in the life of every one of the People. To be an adult means that you are self-sufficient. Someone that can hold and offer debts to others among the People. It means that your voice has worth and should be taken into account. Heavily standardized, these arcane rituals have become a rallying point for the People. A cultural artifact that binds all of them together in a way that differentiates them from outsiders. As long as the trials are regularly completed, the People will remember themselves and their history. No adult amongst the People could be one counted deficient.
Effects: The competence of all leaders, regardless of standing, is increased. Cultural unity increased.

The Hunt
A primal activity, the People have looked beyond the age old history of blood and death. Hunting is not a simple story with a beginning and an end, but a chord held in harmony with the world's great symphony. As long as the People remember their humility and their place in the symphony, there will always be a place for the People in the world of beasts.
Effects: Expand Hunting action upgraded to Manage Hunting and reveals the safe hunting cap. Defensive attrition increased.

The Law (Neolithic)
The People's code of laws are beyond ancient, more of a primordial mien, from a time that's literally lost to time. Primarily, the Law is a collection of codified stories, a canon that shows the People how to build a good life. While still open for further development, the Law goes a long way to creating a uniformity of culture and expectation of internal unity.
Effects: Increase Centralization cap by +1, grant access to Push Unity action, accelerate development of Culture resource, ???

Technology

Administration: Stone Age Council
Big Man Slate
Collective Decision Making
First Among Equals Council
Formalized Big Man Leadership

Construction: Earthenware Construction
Animal Glue
Bone
Earth
Fired Clay Brick
Lime
Structural Stone
Plant Fibers
Wood

Domesticated Animals: Early Domestication
Early Canine Companions
Tamed Orkers

Energy Production: Muscle and Fire
Canine Power
Fire

Charcoal
Lime
Kilns
Rock Boiling

Muscle Power

Farming Techniques: Refuse Reuse
Fish Gut Fertilizer
Horticulture

Food Production: Early Organized Crop Fields
Cultivation/Horticulture

Organized Plots
Corn
Pumpkin
Squash
Quinoa
Wild Rice

Fishing

Entrapment
Net
Spear

Gathering

Berries (Elderberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Cherries, Blackberries)
Condiments (Balsamroot, Evergreen)
Flowers (Fireweed, Sunflower)
Fruits (Plums, Persimmons, Grapes, Crabapples)
Nuts (Hickory, Walnut, Acorns, Hazelnut)
Vegetables (Beans, Fiddleheads)

Herding

Dogs
Orker

Hunting

Canine assisted hunts
Safe Animals (Turkey, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians)
Prey Animals (Deer, Elk, etc.)
Prize Animals (Wolves, Bear, Orker)

Refined Foods

Maple Sugar
Spigot Collection

Traps

Bait
Conical Nets
Dead Fall
Pit
Snares

Food Storage: Potted Desiccation
Brewing
Covered Pots
Drying
Herding
Pemmican
Salt
Smoking
Sugaring

Magic: Primitive Exothermic Reactions
Fire
Lime
Lye

Materials: Stone and Obsidian
Bone
Flint
Ivory
Plant Fibers
Sinew
Stone

Amethyst
Citrine
Granite
Lapis Luzili
Limestone
Obsidian
Quartz

Terracotta
Wood

Music: Crude, Natural Instruments
Bone acoustic instruments
Chanting
Horns
Rhythmic drumming

Structures: Earthenware Construction
Brick Longhouse
Brick Wall

Firing Step
Rampart

Temples

Corbel Arches
Decorative Pillars

Techniques: Apprenticed Teaching
Binding
Carving
Fire shaping
Mortared Masonry

Tools/Weapons: Stone and Obsidian
Axe
Bone Armour
Fire
Knife
Macuahuitl
Rock Mace
Spear
Spear-Thrower
Sinew Flatbow
Quarterstaff
Wicker Shield (One Handed)

Transportation: Muscle Power
Birch Bark Canoes
Primitive Bone Skates
Dog Sleds (Winterized and Primitive Summer)
Rasbaska
Signal Fire Language
Snowshoes
Trace
Trailmarkers

Concepts

Authority: Distributed Collectivized Leadership
Collective Decision Making
Specialization

Administrators: Aristocratic Councils
Aristocrats
Council

Entertainment: Idle Time Filler
Gambling
Practice Fights
Scrimshaw

Organization: Stone Age
Apprenticeships
Early Polygamy
Extended Kinship Groups
Monogamy

Property: Non-Personal Posession
Communal Property
Reciprocal Lending
Interpersonal Debts

Records: Ancient Records
Memory
Oral History
Symbolic Tally

Religion: Ancient Ancestor Worship/Animism
Ancestor Worship
Animism
Mystery Cults
Rituals
Shamans
Temples

Roles: Stone Age
Artisan
Aristocrat
Craftsman
Food Producer
Shaman

Science: Shamanistic Secrets
Great Spirits
Magic
Spirits

Warriors: Ancient Warrior Clans
Elite Holy Orders
Folk Wrestling
Professional Warriors

In the technology section, each different section now how a paradigm attached to it. This lets you know generally where these technologies could be found. Shifting paradigms is hugely important and provides massive advantages. More advantage paradigms tend to wipe out those less advanced.

Reserach

Abstract Tally (110/250) [Magic]
Arboriculture (212/300) [Fire] [Life]
Caribou Taming (298/400) [Beast] [Travel] (Enormous boost since Northlands has this)
Copper Smelting (126/300) [Fire] [Stone]
Gods and Deities (167/200) [Magic]
Elementalism (17/???) [Magic]
Herding (237/250) [Beast] [Travel]
Mammoth Taming (25/400) [Beast] [Travel]
Orker Domestication (148/800) [Beast] [Travel]
Raven Taming (22/150) [Beast]
Stonecutting (76/100) [Stone]
Three Sisters (452/600) [Life]
Wheel (2/100) [Travel]

These show where you roughly are with major research projects. Note the tags next to them. If you select a Study ___ action, it will boost every research project tagged by that same tag.

Geography

Leader Board

The People! (Prestige: 35, Army: Hardened Neolithic Warriors and Holy Orders, Economy: Agriculture Supplemented with Hunting, Art: Sacred Construction and Advanced High Quality Tools, Magic: Fire, Stone, and Spirit)
Tribe of the West (Prestige: 22, Army: Numerous Professional Neolithic Warriors, Economy: Unprecedented Boom in Agriculture, Art: Innumerable Tools, Magic: All Things Alive)
Island Makers (Prestige: 19, Army: Enraged Elite Neolithic Warriors, Economy: Intense Early Agriculture, Art: Advanced Quality Tools, Magic: Earth and Water)
Arrow Lake (Prestige: 18, Army: Informal, Lucky Militia, Economy: Early Agriculture, Art: Sacred Iconography, Magic: Stone and Slaves)
Roundstone (Prestige: 16, Army: Professional Slingers, Economy: Extensive Aquaculture, Art: Cloth and Paint, Magic: Shouts)
Bond Breakers (Prestige: 16, Army: Organizing Militia, Economy: Early Agricultre, Art: Durable Weapons, Magic: Little)
Cracktooth (Prestige: 14, Army: Bloodied, Bloodthirsty Militia, Economy: Agrculture and Herding, Art: Tools of Terror, Magic: Bone and Beat)
Pearl Divers (Prestige: 13, Army: Informal Militia, Economy: Early Fishing and Aquaculture, Art: Beautified Dependable Tools, Magic: Sea and Salt)
Peace Builders (Prestige: 12, Army: Reduced Fanatical Neolithic Warriors, Economy: Broad Agriculture and Aquaculture, Art: Ephemeral Crafts and Imported Advanced High Quality Tools, Magic: Of Song and Story)
Cateye (Prestige: 11, Army: Hit and Run, Economy: Hunter-Gatherer with Trade, Art: Glittering Gifts and Functional Tools, Magic: Corruption)
Lakeland (Prestige: 10, Canoe Archers, Economy: Hunter-Gatherer, Art: Rugged Tools, Magic: Little)
Mountain Clans (Prestige: 3, Army: Scattered Refugees, Economy: ~~Severe Starvation~~ Living On The Dole, Art: Little, Magic: Little)
Northlands (Prestige: 2, Army: Greatly Reduced Cavalry, Economy: Recovering, Art: Bone Tools, Magic: Bonds and Beasts)
River Tribe (Prestige: ?, Army: ?, Economy: ?, Art: ?, Magic ?)

From Stone to the Stars

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