We want to claim a very good place for a settlement before someone else does and the resources gained will fix our luxuries shortage and provide craftsmen and materials to help finish the hills and temples.
From Stone to the Stars
- Thread starter Redium
- Start date
- Original Alt. History
Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
[X] [Lake] Maintain the settlement, but mix in a noticeable number of the People, primarily shaman and warriors. (++++ Luxuries, ++ Crafts, + Materials, - Martial, - Magic)
[X] [North] Upgrade the Cave of Stars into a full fledged settlement. (+ Staples, + Luxuries)
[X] [War] No.
[X] [North] Upgrade the Cave of Stars into a full fledged settlement. (+ Staples, + Luxuries)
[X] [War] No.
- Location
- UK
But will also mean we need to spend even more actions building a hill and temple in the new place, along with charcoal kilns and the fire relay if we want to get those locked in too.
Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
We have a potential resource shortage dude. If we cant get the stuff to build, or if demand outstrips supply we are gonna be screwed.
I'd note that we don't actually have a shortage anymore once we claim the Cave of Stars, since it unlocks new clay pit sites. Which is pretty much the main shortage.
Which lets us have the time to build the trails to up the clay efficiency. We don't need more settlements. We need more infrastructure, because we're gathering resources inefficiently.
Which lets us have the time to build the trails to up the clay efficiency. We don't need more settlements. We need more infrastructure, because we're gathering resources inefficiently.
- Location
- Europa, Jupiter Orbit
Also, the way it is now we won't need as many fire relay trails since the Cave is already connected afaik. And it also has a temple, though we may need a second one anyway for the Horned Riders. We could dedicate the upcoming Arrow Lake temple to them but it feels narratively detrimental to have their temple in the only place where they literally can't practice their arts.
- Location
- USA
If we are to take the winning vote as it is now, that of settling Arrow Lake and the Cave of the Stars, while we do have a good amount of infrastructure that will need to be built to continue our build tall strategy I think it is manageable considering our project 9 action points per turn for at least the next two turns, mostly due to our heroes. Between the two of them we will need to build two Temples, two Hills, two kilns, and one fire relay. All in all that adds up to around 11 actions, or 13 if you include the Hill we need to build for the Fingers, which while steep if we look at things in the process of two turns of actions, we don't need to build everything here in two turns.
Part of the reason we went tall in the first place was to make sure that when we did eventually expand, which we were prompted to do long ago regarding both the fertile flood plains and the area around Rahu Bay, that we would do so in a manner that would keep our civilization cohesively intact and resilient against either invasion or rebellion.
Yes, one of the reasons we went tall was to lock down a lot of infrastructure to make it standard, something we did after a long period of time. However, as of this moment, I think part of the reasons for why we specifically wanted the Temples and Hills have been partially dealt with.
The Temples were always meant to boost our magic/mysticism and keep our civilization tied together no matter how much it expanded later on. I think we've very well got some of the magic/mysticism preserved rather well if our religious authority overcap and booming Holy Orders are anything to go by, while in terms of culturally, with the Law Megaproject having been completed and the integration of another culture just starting, I think we're well in had with that.
In terms of defenses, this recent war has just proven how powerful brick walls truly are. Where even our powerful warriors were essentially forced to siege Arrow Lake in order to finally force their defeat. While the Hill would obviously make our cities that much harder to assault, I think that in this current age and the next, it wouldn't solve the solution we used against Arrow Lake, and that was slowly starving them to death in a slow war of attrition. Even if we had a Hill in all of our settlements, if we say faced an enemy like the Tribe of the West per se who had both professional and numerous warriors, those hills would not do much for us in terms or protecting us from them starving us out. Looking at the current geopolitical map, I think defensively we're well covered. The Peace Builders currently anchor our western flank, thus giving us some protection there. To the north, aside from nomads who even the Northlands barely remember seeing far away, there is no major threat either. In the east our only major threat would be either the Pearl Divers if they decided to war against us, or South Reach and their potential tribal allies. Considering how the Pearl Divers rely on a militia and with how spread apart they are, I don't think they'd pose too much of a threat to us. While South Reach and those near them likely aren't as powerful as our other potential foes due to how we wiped the floor with them earlier. Our only threats come from the south. That of the Island Makers with their professional force, or the myriad enemies of the Peace Builders, such as the Tribe of the West, who seems to be our main threat. Out of them, they would have to go great lengths, and potentially through the Island Makers if they truly want to hit us. Altogether I think that right now our geopolitical situation is much stabler than it was awhile back.
Altogether while I am worried about the infrastructure issue, I am not that worried as I think potentially losing Arrow Lake would've been worse for us. So long as we prioritize our goals well in the next few turns I think we can make good head way on this long to do list. Firstly, I would prioritize any of our deficient resources, with staples if it keeps falling being important. After that we will want to solve the factional issue revolving around the Fingers soon and get them their hill. After that we need to build a Temple for the Horned Riders, who are on a timer. Aside from that, we should be able to mix and match well enough to keep right on track.
Assuming we went with the plan that was winning before, that of incorporating Arrow Lake as just materials and craftsmen alongside the Cave of the Stars, I think we would likely still have that moderate luxuries deficit.
At this point, though, I agree, we're pretty much done with settlements for a good long while, and our primary focus should be on infrastructure, either to fill in what we need or make us more efficient through trails for our resource production.
I think for the Horned Riders, depending on the options given to us, we will either need to build a new Temple for them at a settlement which already has them, likely the Cave of the Stars as that's where their people will likely be drawn from, or see if we can move say the Fangs out of the Hill Guard Temple into the one we build at Arrow Lake, assuming that is still an option.
- Location
- USA
I don't think that will be much of a problem considering:
Jeree as a mysticism hero gives us a free action slot for things related to it such as study actions, and building kilns or Temples.
Depending on how things look for us on turn 21.0 we probably should take a study action as it is noted that Jeree passively boosts our research by 20%. Then again if our economy is still shaky we may need to use him to build a kiln or something.
However one other thing we should consider is what we plan to use his martial action slot on as that is not as useful anymore.
We probably can not afford this considering it takes up three resource slots and is thus as expensive or up there with building a temple. Not that we particularly need more warriors now.
This might actually be tempting as it costs us nothing and could reveal free resources for us nearby. Then again it's not like we're in any position to expand and claim said resources.
Similar to with the warriors it's too expensive and not needed. Though with us overlapping on religious authority I am wondering what this might mean for us.
As we've reached the hard cap for this, unless opening up Arrow Lake and the Cave of the Stars has changed that this isn't something we should get as going over our hard cap will hurt us in the long run.
We have enough territory right now, we don't need to raid anyone else at the moment, so this is a waste unless someone suddenly attacks us.
This might be very useful as it is noted that it trade actions do give us intelligence on what is happening to the tribes around us. Considering how quickly things have changed around us, especially if anyone else has noticed how fast the Tribe of the West has sprung up the leader board, we may need more intelligence before we get surprised by something.
All in all, we should have a good mix of actions to choose from the next full planning turn.
Noting we hadn't explored at all in a long while. We could be sitting on a resource near our settlements and not know it.
We probably won't be exploring very far abroad given how large our territory is now.
New settlements should raise the hunting cap for obvious reasons. New hunting grounds
- Location
- USA
Probably, but the question is, as we have to specify which direction we plan to explore, where should we explore within our own territory, as I assume most of it is not as explored as we would like it to be.
Fair enough for Arrow Lake, not sure how much taking the Cave of the Stars will affect our hunting cap as it was in the middle of our territory acting as a pseudo-settlement of sorts.
Basic logistics says it has a big impact because nobody hunting around the area for lack of a place to be based off unless they're staying several days travel away and thus not actually contributing food from hunting.
- Location
- USA
Well, it looks like we have a choice between exploring and expanding hunting again, both of which are tempting options due to not costing us much of anything.
Professor Vesca
Good News Everyone!
Cariyaga
Handsome Gentleperson
- Location
- United States
I would definitely go for hunting. Staples are super important, and having an excess of them is a good thing.
- Location
- USA
I agree so long as we aren't exceeding some kind of cap. Though it really depends on what our status is this next sub-turn, as we likely will have to deal with the issue of the RA overcap.
- Location
- USA
So, I've been rereading the quest again, and I was wondering. Does this still apply?
I also had a few other questions I wanted to ask @Redium
So, when it comes to infrastructure such as a Fire Relay Connection, or roads in general, are those types of infrastructure something we can lock in, or are they something we will have to perennially build? I know that things like trails, smaller arterial roads, will likely always need to be built mechanic wise, but once we get more advanced, would we not automatically make sure any settlement we found have a road connection to the rest of our civ?
The next question I had related to the caps we currently have and how our new settlements affected them. How exactly are our caps affected by founding new settlements? Is there an algorithm or is it context related? For example, would our choice in founding just the Cave of the Stars not have raised our hunting cap or not so that it's not hard capped?
Finally, the last question I had was related to the explore action, and something someone else asked. As the explore action has a requirement to specify the direction of our exploration, how specific can we be as we are a rather spread out civilization? For example could we say just explore in the general vicinity of a specific settlement, or a certain cardinal direction from said settlement or does it have to be more vague?
Edit:
@Redium
One more question I had while re-reading:
Does this still apply? As I don't see a port or boat related technology in the research/technology tab.
Another Edit: @Redium So when is the next decision point coming regarding the Mountain Clans? It's been awhile since we've been supplying them.
Last edited:
21.0 Hearth and Home
[X] [Lake] Maintain the settlement, but mix in a noticeable number of the People, primarily shaman and warriors. (++++ Luxuries, ++ Crafts, + Materials, - Martial, - Magic)
[X] [North] Upgrade the Cave of Stars into a full fledged settlement. (+ Staples, + Luxuries)
[X] [War] No.
The years after the fall of Arrow Lake were filled with quiet grumblings. It had not come to — much — violence like some part of Luule feared it would. There were still disagreements, fights had started for all the same old reasons that they had in the past, but it was normal. If anything, Luule considered it to be less than normal. She had grown up nearly on the field of battle among warriors. Now, there was no longer a war to fight.
For a time, it had looked like South Reach might end up forcing the People back into war, purely because they didn't seem to get the message that the People were finished, but a quick counter raid bloodied their noses and made them think better of it. The series of follow up vengeance strikes from the Mountain Clans confirmed that further war with the People was impossible.
It was strange, to take a breath and simply be able to exhale slowly without fear, without disruption.
Within the first year, most of Arrow Lake's infrastructure had been rebuilt and was operating, if at reduced capacity. So many of their people had been slain. Walking through Arrow Lake, it was an easy assumption to make that its inhabitants were only able to give birth to women; men were profoundly rare. Arrow Lake had suffered greatly under the People's fury. Little was destroyed; farms that had been fallow were easily replanted, untended forests could once again been groomed in a pleasing way, and abandoned mines could be exploited for their wealth.
It wasn't until immigrants from the People came in that things slowly returned to normal. Most of the men within Arrow Lake had been wiped out; perhaps one of eight over the age of adulthood still lived, a nearly fatal blow to an entire generation, but it was one that could heal, especially with immigration to replace lost fathers. It was almost convenient; the People had long had a history of encouraging their menfolk to marry far from their families.
In fact, there had been an enormous rush of marriages; nearly every immigrant that moved to Arrow Lake would find themselves a wife or three within a few moons. It had been a surprise to hear; Luule thought there would be a lot more resentment due to all the brothers, fathers, and cousins who had been slain. There was some, but not nearly as much as she had feared there would be.
The Ember-Eyes were, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular. All across the People, the Ember-Eyes had risen to prominence. Fire-Eaters, Scalded-Scions, Heaven's Light, Luule had rapidly forgotten all the praises heaped upon them. It had gotten so bad, that at times the Ember-Eyes reminded her of shimmer birds; their chests puffed out while they pranced around and preened over alleged great deeds. Plenty of people, from youthful followers to entranced elders, hung on their words.
It made Luule role her eyes. She preferred a bit more gab and a lot less puffed up greatness in her leaders.
What Luule hadn't expected, was how popular the Frost-Scarred had become among the remnants of Arrow Lake. With the destruction of their polity, there had been something akin to a rejection of Arrow Lake culture. They had been a people obsessed with symbols, awards, and status signalling. One of the highest virtues that an individual could aspire to (aside from war) was artistic carvings. Slaves had been liberated due to the beauty of their carvings and become major influence peddlers in their own right.
The Frost-Scared were the opposite of that. They disdained art and the creature comforts; they felt that it made them weak. "A man has no fur, no fangs, and no claws. We were born into this world with nothing, and like that we shall remain." As their leaders said. Instead of a collection of material goods, the People should aspire to greatness by carving it into their body with toil and blood. For most, that meant taking pride in the scars received over the course of many challenges and a hard life. Some had taken it further, literally carving symbols into their flesh in order to represent their deeds.
There was some artistic sense there, Luule thought, but it was nearly alien to the sensibilities of Arrow Lake. Nearly alien, perhaps that was the key. The appreciation for aesthetics were still there, in both groups, even if of a different type.
It was... it was like they were a clay vessel, waiting to be filled. Something about how the survivors of Arrow Lake approached their own culture; the symbols, the dances, the music, and celebrations, all of it seemed exaggerated and half-remembered, like children emulating their parents. They had always been a garish tribe, even by the People's standards, obsessed with their colours and their performances. Seeing everything up close, and being invited to participate, it made Luule feel like she was staring into cool, smooth waters only to see her own reflection staring back at her. She huffed; that didn't make sense. It was like Arrow Lake's survivors were actors, rather than participants.
Whether they were Frost-Scarred or Ember-Eyed, the shaman that moved into Arrow Lake were greeted far more warmly than the warriors, hunters, and farmers that followed. They weren't fully rejected, in Luule's estimation, but whatever spark had caused the Holy Ones to be accepted, didn't seem to translate fully. Still, that was a wound that would simply take time to heal. Arrow Lake needed the infusion of new blood. One man may serve as well as two in a pinch when it came to finding husbands, but that left their children with precious few options to marry outside their family in the next generation.
After Arrow Lake was finally resettled, their fields, farms, and forests renewed, wealth seemed to pour into the People in amounts unending. Arrow Lake had always maintained a very tight hold on the trade of lapis lazuli, offering only a limited selection of the priceless blue stones; most of what they produced was used internally. So much of the stone had been mined that even their Indebted were allowed to carry jewelry made from it! The wealth... Luule's mind twisted trying to contextualize that piece of information. Most of the People only ever saw lapis lazuli as offerings to the graves of deceased loved ones. Pareem occasionally wear it ground into a dye to indicate their willingness to kill and die for the People and some shaman used it to heighten their connections with the spirits, but outside of a few wealthy individuals, lapis lazuli was used rarely at most.
There was some bitterness among those of Arrow Lake when their lapis lazuli was redirected to the People's other settlements, but that abated once sugar, crystal, pearl, salt, and obsidian flowed back in. The former traders who had once dealt in only small amounts of goods quickly leveraged their existing connections. They worked with Pareem from their home settlements and cut deals with the few surviving patrons of Arrow Lake. Trade networks turned into friendship, favours, and eventually marriage as many of the traders undeniably attained the quality of Pareem.
To a great extent, Luule expected that, what she hadn't was the role the former Northlanders played in making the integration possible. Not a single member of the tribe had settled in Arrow Lake, many of them felt it far to warm and stifling since their caribou could not stand the summers. Instead, they had settled around the Cave of Stars. It was a peculiar choice, but it was one that Jeree had strongly endorsed. His people had abandoned their old ways in the north, settling at the People's spiritual heart would make that separation complete.
It had taken convincing and enticement since many of the Northerners feared the Cave. In truth, seeing the looks on many of the northerners faces, Luule felt that their relationship with the Cave of Stars went far beyond fear. "It pulls at our souls," they would say. "The Cave is hungry and Devours in the dark of night." It was superstition, Jeree had always laughed good-naturedly. Old folk remembering scary campfire stories from before the Bloody Chief.
Luule did not ask why the good natured smile never reached Jeree's eyes.
While the Northerners were settled, calling them that was a misleading statement. A large portion of their population did settle down; mixing and inter-marrying with the shaman and those few settlers who had set up near by to support them. A large percentage of the Northerners stayed mobile, walking their herds of caribou up and down the banks of the Great River. The land was unsettled except for a few stations near the Fire Relay and perfectly suited for caribou.
It was largely spontaneous, but a day of celebration was held whenever the herd returned to one of the People's settlements. Not only did the herds bring enough easily slain meat meat that everyone could eat their fill, but they came replete with crafts, luxuries, and other goods. A caribou was a strong beast and it could carry a lot on their winding journey through the wilderness. Using the herders as intermediate traders would never be a quick way to transport trade goods, but it was easy. A little bit of planning was necessary on Luule's part to optimize the routes, but it became slowly obvious that it worked better over time. The herders were already on the move, why not ask them to carry a bit extra on their journey?
All together, the Northerners had tied themselves closely to the People. Luule was certain that by the time she died, there would be few people that remembered that they were once different. The People had changed, perhaps as much the two tribes they had newly conquered.
Nowhere was that more evident than in the People's festivals, the days of practice didn't change, but the traditions certainly did. Archery, wrestling, kicking, staff fighting, swimming, running, and canoe racing had all been traditional competitions on feast days. Aside from the fires, music, and food, they were the primary entertainment and attracted a surfeit of eager young men, looking to prove themselves before all of their friends and relatives.
The former inhabitants of Arrow Lake unveiled their own contests; beautiful carvings, new songs, painting, and stone throwing. Instead of the People's martial pursuits, the former inhabitants focused much more on art and culture. Provided you were of the right sort, Luule acknowledged. The former Indebted had been barred from participating.
It was when the Northlanders brought out their games that Luule started to worry. They prized skill with the javelin above all and focused greatly on its accuracy. They also excelled a hide and hunt, a training exercise where hunters would try to track each other down in turn. For crafts, they focused on weaving small talismans from loose tufts of caribou hair or carving beauty into ivory tusks.
The biggest competition among the Northlanders, was caribou riding. Each caribou had to be trained systematically by its raider; it wasn't possible to interchange them. If a rider's caribou died, it meant they would have to undergo training from the beginning. As such, the Northlanders valued skill in breaking and riding new caribou. The Northlanders' caribou weren't a timid sort like deer or mindlessly aggressive like moose. Instead, their instinct was to freeze and refuse to move. Then, they would begin to buck, trying to throw off their rider. Whoever could stay on their mount longest won.
When the People tried this competition, several caribou were injured. The People were simply too heavy; they tended to be two full handspans taller than their Northlander cousins.
Since they didn't want to be outdone, several of the People's young men brought an orker.
Luule didn't realize the sheer foolishness — an orker was at least five times the size of a caribou — until she heard shouts of competition turn into screams of pain. By the time she arrived, all that remained of the riding pen was smashed kindling. The injured were everywhere, dashed against the ground and nearby buildings. Jeree stood in the middle of the chaos, a faint hiss leaking from his lips as he stared down the enraged orker. Behind him, a whimpering boy lay.
The orker charged, hooves tearing up the soft turf with each step. It was comical, seeing Jeree stare down death. He was unarmed, not having time to gather his weapons. If Jeree stepped to the side, the orker would charge and obliterate him. The longer he stood still, the longer the screams and chaos would have to work on the maddened beast.
Obviously, in such a hopeless situation, Jeree the Trickster charged. Twisting like a great cat he leaped, fluttering and barely clearing the orker's flashing jaws. He tumbled across the creature's back, spinning to his feet and unleashing a fanged growl. The orker squealed and shock the earth with another charge. Jeree's second dodge sent him scrambling through the dirt as he dived to the side.
Luule's heart was in her throat as she watched Jeree duck and dodge. Every movement was life-or-death. Jeree was hampered by the wrecked and injured around him. Numerous individuals, from children to fully fledged adults, were spread across the ground, broken by the orker's passing. Some were trapped under wood and brick wreckage, others were simply too injured to move. All it would take is an errant hoof to crush them to death; Jeree had little room to dodge without sacrificing one of the wounded to the orker's path.
Some part of Luule's mind knew that the warriors should be responding soon, coming in force to slay the threat to the People's safety. Their response would take time, however. Precious time that burned away like black char and brought Jeree closer and closer to death.
He couldn't dodge forever and he had no knife or blade on him. Orkers were almost impossible to kill. Their only weakness, the only way to kill them quickly, was a gap behind their massive, flanged skull in between their shoulder blades. Anything less would bleed them — slowly — and only serve to enrage them further. Every other method of combat was a story, a fireside epic told by those looking to embellish with tall tales.
Jeree slipped, his foot sliding across the soft turf. The orker's head was there in an instant, bashing him aside with an audible crack that cut through the surrounding screams of the injured.
The Horned Rider's grin never waved.
Instead of crushing the impudent bug, the orker slid and crashed through the side of a longhouse. The wall offered all the resistance of wet tree leaves. There was a thin line of blood on the orker's head as it stomped back into the light outside the longhouse. Dust blasted of its form with each heaving breath.
Something in Luule's mind urged her to act. "Jeree!" she shouted, hurling the first thing she could get her hands on.
It was a broken stick, broad-headed and unwieldy, a remnant of what had once been a section of fencing. It was useless. No spear-point adorned its head, a great weight did not sit behind its blows. It was refuse.
Jeree seized it and swung at the passing orker, overbalancing and sending himself sprawling from the force of the blow. The stick exploded and the orker tottered unsteadily on its hooves. It seemed to shudder, front leg curled up and unable to hold the beast's massive weight. Luule thought she heard something that could have passed for a hiss of pain.
Something flashed and an arrow sprouted from the orker's flank. A dozen more quickly followed to the orker's protest. The hunters had arrived, Luule realized, and they were angry. Spears followed as the orker failed to flee and its knees buckled.
It wasn't with any grace that the beast was butchered. It was just stabbed again and again and again until it no longer moved. The hunters stabbed it several more times for good measure.
The beast died and Jeree dropped.
"What were you thinking?!" Luule near shouted.
"The problem..." the Trickster whispered, "Was that I wasn't doing enough of it. I'd dodged it a couple times, what was a dozen more?" Jeree's eyes shut and he let out a slow, shuddering breath. "My everything hurts." One of his eyes quirked open, conveying what Luule could only call a smile without his face ever moving. "Kiss it better?"
Luule didn't know whether to scream, or to accept.
A group of young men became... overambitious during a small, local festival. As a result, Jeree single-handedly stalled an orker for several minutes while unarmed. How is this event remembered?
[ ] [Orker] It wasn't. It was suppressed as best Luule was able so future generations would not be inspired. (+ Stab)
[ ] [Orker] It was commemorated as a lesson learned from a careless mistake. (-- Stab, + Legitimacy)
[ ] [Orker] It was to be commemorated in festival. (Annual Festival)
[ ] [Orker] It was a route cause of a deeper problem, one that needed significant thought. (???)
Pick: 3 Actions, 3 Empowerment, 1 Admin, 1 Art, and 1 Martial Action.
Note: Failing to take a [Mastery of Nature] action will cost Stability! Can Double Down at cost of 15 Stability on an action by adding a sub tag to that specific action.
AN: Vote is currently locked until a threadmark is put up in the morning.
[X] [North] Upgrade the Cave of Stars into a full fledged settlement. (+ Staples, + Luxuries)
[X] [War] No.
The years after the fall of Arrow Lake were filled with quiet grumblings. It had not come to — much — violence like some part of Luule feared it would. There were still disagreements, fights had started for all the same old reasons that they had in the past, but it was normal. If anything, Luule considered it to be less than normal. She had grown up nearly on the field of battle among warriors. Now, there was no longer a war to fight.
For a time, it had looked like South Reach might end up forcing the People back into war, purely because they didn't seem to get the message that the People were finished, but a quick counter raid bloodied their noses and made them think better of it. The series of follow up vengeance strikes from the Mountain Clans confirmed that further war with the People was impossible.
It was strange, to take a breath and simply be able to exhale slowly without fear, without disruption.
Within the first year, most of Arrow Lake's infrastructure had been rebuilt and was operating, if at reduced capacity. So many of their people had been slain. Walking through Arrow Lake, it was an easy assumption to make that its inhabitants were only able to give birth to women; men were profoundly rare. Arrow Lake had suffered greatly under the People's fury. Little was destroyed; farms that had been fallow were easily replanted, untended forests could once again been groomed in a pleasing way, and abandoned mines could be exploited for their wealth.
It wasn't until immigrants from the People came in that things slowly returned to normal. Most of the men within Arrow Lake had been wiped out; perhaps one of eight over the age of adulthood still lived, a nearly fatal blow to an entire generation, but it was one that could heal, especially with immigration to replace lost fathers. It was almost convenient; the People had long had a history of encouraging their menfolk to marry far from their families.
In fact, there had been an enormous rush of marriages; nearly every immigrant that moved to Arrow Lake would find themselves a wife or three within a few moons. It had been a surprise to hear; Luule thought there would be a lot more resentment due to all the brothers, fathers, and cousins who had been slain. There was some, but not nearly as much as she had feared there would be.
The Ember-Eyes were, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular. All across the People, the Ember-Eyes had risen to prominence. Fire-Eaters, Scalded-Scions, Heaven's Light, Luule had rapidly forgotten all the praises heaped upon them. It had gotten so bad, that at times the Ember-Eyes reminded her of shimmer birds; their chests puffed out while they pranced around and preened over alleged great deeds. Plenty of people, from youthful followers to entranced elders, hung on their words.
It made Luule role her eyes. She preferred a bit more gab and a lot less puffed up greatness in her leaders.
What Luule hadn't expected, was how popular the Frost-Scarred had become among the remnants of Arrow Lake. With the destruction of their polity, there had been something akin to a rejection of Arrow Lake culture. They had been a people obsessed with symbols, awards, and status signalling. One of the highest virtues that an individual could aspire to (aside from war) was artistic carvings. Slaves had been liberated due to the beauty of their carvings and become major influence peddlers in their own right.
The Frost-Scared were the opposite of that. They disdained art and the creature comforts; they felt that it made them weak. "A man has no fur, no fangs, and no claws. We were born into this world with nothing, and like that we shall remain." As their leaders said. Instead of a collection of material goods, the People should aspire to greatness by carving it into their body with toil and blood. For most, that meant taking pride in the scars received over the course of many challenges and a hard life. Some had taken it further, literally carving symbols into their flesh in order to represent their deeds.
There was some artistic sense there, Luule thought, but it was nearly alien to the sensibilities of Arrow Lake. Nearly alien, perhaps that was the key. The appreciation for aesthetics were still there, in both groups, even if of a different type.
It was... it was like they were a clay vessel, waiting to be filled. Something about how the survivors of Arrow Lake approached their own culture; the symbols, the dances, the music, and celebrations, all of it seemed exaggerated and half-remembered, like children emulating their parents. They had always been a garish tribe, even by the People's standards, obsessed with their colours and their performances. Seeing everything up close, and being invited to participate, it made Luule feel like she was staring into cool, smooth waters only to see her own reflection staring back at her. She huffed; that didn't make sense. It was like Arrow Lake's survivors were actors, rather than participants.
Whether they were Frost-Scarred or Ember-Eyed, the shaman that moved into Arrow Lake were greeted far more warmly than the warriors, hunters, and farmers that followed. They weren't fully rejected, in Luule's estimation, but whatever spark had caused the Holy Ones to be accepted, didn't seem to translate fully. Still, that was a wound that would simply take time to heal. Arrow Lake needed the infusion of new blood. One man may serve as well as two in a pinch when it came to finding husbands, but that left their children with precious few options to marry outside their family in the next generation.
After Arrow Lake was finally resettled, their fields, farms, and forests renewed, wealth seemed to pour into the People in amounts unending. Arrow Lake had always maintained a very tight hold on the trade of lapis lazuli, offering only a limited selection of the priceless blue stones; most of what they produced was used internally. So much of the stone had been mined that even their Indebted were allowed to carry jewelry made from it! The wealth... Luule's mind twisted trying to contextualize that piece of information. Most of the People only ever saw lapis lazuli as offerings to the graves of deceased loved ones. Pareem occasionally wear it ground into a dye to indicate their willingness to kill and die for the People and some shaman used it to heighten their connections with the spirits, but outside of a few wealthy individuals, lapis lazuli was used rarely at most.
There was some bitterness among those of Arrow Lake when their lapis lazuli was redirected to the People's other settlements, but that abated once sugar, crystal, pearl, salt, and obsidian flowed back in. The former traders who had once dealt in only small amounts of goods quickly leveraged their existing connections. They worked with Pareem from their home settlements and cut deals with the few surviving patrons of Arrow Lake. Trade networks turned into friendship, favours, and eventually marriage as many of the traders undeniably attained the quality of Pareem.
To a great extent, Luule expected that, what she hadn't was the role the former Northlanders played in making the integration possible. Not a single member of the tribe had settled in Arrow Lake, many of them felt it far to warm and stifling since their caribou could not stand the summers. Instead, they had settled around the Cave of Stars. It was a peculiar choice, but it was one that Jeree had strongly endorsed. His people had abandoned their old ways in the north, settling at the People's spiritual heart would make that separation complete.
It had taken convincing and enticement since many of the Northerners feared the Cave. In truth, seeing the looks on many of the northerners faces, Luule felt that their relationship with the Cave of Stars went far beyond fear. "It pulls at our souls," they would say. "The Cave is hungry and Devours in the dark of night." It was superstition, Jeree had always laughed good-naturedly. Old folk remembering scary campfire stories from before the Bloody Chief.
Luule did not ask why the good natured smile never reached Jeree's eyes.
While the Northerners were settled, calling them that was a misleading statement. A large portion of their population did settle down; mixing and inter-marrying with the shaman and those few settlers who had set up near by to support them. A large percentage of the Northerners stayed mobile, walking their herds of caribou up and down the banks of the Great River. The land was unsettled except for a few stations near the Fire Relay and perfectly suited for caribou.
It was largely spontaneous, but a day of celebration was held whenever the herd returned to one of the People's settlements. Not only did the herds bring enough easily slain meat meat that everyone could eat their fill, but they came replete with crafts, luxuries, and other goods. A caribou was a strong beast and it could carry a lot on their winding journey through the wilderness. Using the herders as intermediate traders would never be a quick way to transport trade goods, but it was easy. A little bit of planning was necessary on Luule's part to optimize the routes, but it became slowly obvious that it worked better over time. The herders were already on the move, why not ask them to carry a bit extra on their journey?
All together, the Northerners had tied themselves closely to the People. Luule was certain that by the time she died, there would be few people that remembered that they were once different. The People had changed, perhaps as much the two tribes they had newly conquered.
Nowhere was that more evident than in the People's festivals, the days of practice didn't change, but the traditions certainly did. Archery, wrestling, kicking, staff fighting, swimming, running, and canoe racing had all been traditional competitions on feast days. Aside from the fires, music, and food, they were the primary entertainment and attracted a surfeit of eager young men, looking to prove themselves before all of their friends and relatives.
The former inhabitants of Arrow Lake unveiled their own contests; beautiful carvings, new songs, painting, and stone throwing. Instead of the People's martial pursuits, the former inhabitants focused much more on art and culture. Provided you were of the right sort, Luule acknowledged. The former Indebted had been barred from participating.
It was when the Northlanders brought out their games that Luule started to worry. They prized skill with the javelin above all and focused greatly on its accuracy. They also excelled a hide and hunt, a training exercise where hunters would try to track each other down in turn. For crafts, they focused on weaving small talismans from loose tufts of caribou hair or carving beauty into ivory tusks.
The biggest competition among the Northlanders, was caribou riding. Each caribou had to be trained systematically by its raider; it wasn't possible to interchange them. If a rider's caribou died, it meant they would have to undergo training from the beginning. As such, the Northlanders valued skill in breaking and riding new caribou. The Northlanders' caribou weren't a timid sort like deer or mindlessly aggressive like moose. Instead, their instinct was to freeze and refuse to move. Then, they would begin to buck, trying to throw off their rider. Whoever could stay on their mount longest won.
When the People tried this competition, several caribou were injured. The People were simply too heavy; they tended to be two full handspans taller than their Northlander cousins.
Since they didn't want to be outdone, several of the People's young men brought an orker.
Luule didn't realize the sheer foolishness — an orker was at least five times the size of a caribou — until she heard shouts of competition turn into screams of pain. By the time she arrived, all that remained of the riding pen was smashed kindling. The injured were everywhere, dashed against the ground and nearby buildings. Jeree stood in the middle of the chaos, a faint hiss leaking from his lips as he stared down the enraged orker. Behind him, a whimpering boy lay.
The orker charged, hooves tearing up the soft turf with each step. It was comical, seeing Jeree stare down death. He was unarmed, not having time to gather his weapons. If Jeree stepped to the side, the orker would charge and obliterate him. The longer he stood still, the longer the screams and chaos would have to work on the maddened beast.
Obviously, in such a hopeless situation, Jeree the Trickster charged. Twisting like a great cat he leaped, fluttering and barely clearing the orker's flashing jaws. He tumbled across the creature's back, spinning to his feet and unleashing a fanged growl. The orker squealed and shock the earth with another charge. Jeree's second dodge sent him scrambling through the dirt as he dived to the side.
Luule's heart was in her throat as she watched Jeree duck and dodge. Every movement was life-or-death. Jeree was hampered by the wrecked and injured around him. Numerous individuals, from children to fully fledged adults, were spread across the ground, broken by the orker's passing. Some were trapped under wood and brick wreckage, others were simply too injured to move. All it would take is an errant hoof to crush them to death; Jeree had little room to dodge without sacrificing one of the wounded to the orker's path.
Some part of Luule's mind knew that the warriors should be responding soon, coming in force to slay the threat to the People's safety. Their response would take time, however. Precious time that burned away like black char and brought Jeree closer and closer to death.
He couldn't dodge forever and he had no knife or blade on him. Orkers were almost impossible to kill. Their only weakness, the only way to kill them quickly, was a gap behind their massive, flanged skull in between their shoulder blades. Anything less would bleed them — slowly — and only serve to enrage them further. Every other method of combat was a story, a fireside epic told by those looking to embellish with tall tales.
Jeree slipped, his foot sliding across the soft turf. The orker's head was there in an instant, bashing him aside with an audible crack that cut through the surrounding screams of the injured.
The Horned Rider's grin never waved.
Instead of crushing the impudent bug, the orker slid and crashed through the side of a longhouse. The wall offered all the resistance of wet tree leaves. There was a thin line of blood on the orker's head as it stomped back into the light outside the longhouse. Dust blasted of its form with each heaving breath.
Something in Luule's mind urged her to act. "Jeree!" she shouted, hurling the first thing she could get her hands on.
It was a broken stick, broad-headed and unwieldy, a remnant of what had once been a section of fencing. It was useless. No spear-point adorned its head, a great weight did not sit behind its blows. It was refuse.
Jeree seized it and swung at the passing orker, overbalancing and sending himself sprawling from the force of the blow. The stick exploded and the orker tottered unsteadily on its hooves. It seemed to shudder, front leg curled up and unable to hold the beast's massive weight. Luule thought she heard something that could have passed for a hiss of pain.
Something flashed and an arrow sprouted from the orker's flank. A dozen more quickly followed to the orker's protest. The hunters had arrived, Luule realized, and they were angry. Spears followed as the orker failed to flee and its knees buckled.
It wasn't with any grace that the beast was butchered. It was just stabbed again and again and again until it no longer moved. The hunters stabbed it several more times for good measure.
The beast died and Jeree dropped.
"What were you thinking?!" Luule near shouted.
"The problem..." the Trickster whispered, "Was that I wasn't doing enough of it. I'd dodged it a couple times, what was a dozen more?" Jeree's eyes shut and he let out a slow, shuddering breath. "My everything hurts." One of his eyes quirked open, conveying what Luule could only call a smile without his face ever moving. "Kiss it better?"
Luule didn't know whether to scream, or to accept.
A group of young men became... overambitious during a small, local festival. As a result, Jeree single-handedly stalled an orker for several minutes while unarmed. How is this event remembered?
[ ] [Orker] It wasn't. It was suppressed as best Luule was able so future generations would not be inspired. (+ Stab)
[ ] [Orker] It was commemorated as a lesson learned from a careless mistake. (-- Stab, + Legitimacy)
[ ] [Orker] It was to be commemorated in festival. (Annual Festival)
[ ] [Orker] It was a route cause of a deeper problem, one that needed significant thought. (???)
Pick: 3 Actions, 3 Empowerment, 1 Admin, 1 Art, and 1 Martial Action.
Annual Festival [Art] - The People deserve to party! Build morale by opening up the stockpiles and having a night of feasts, dancing, music and fun. Cost: Luxuries, Staples. Produces: Legitimacy.
Artisans [Art] [Elitism] - A very rare occupation, artisans are the group of individuals which make things beautiful. Their work can most often be found within the People's temples or adorning the bodies of the rich and powerful. To be an artisan means to be a craftsmen that's a cut above even the rest. Costs: Materials, Craftworks. Produces: Luxuries.
Building Breweries [Art] [Admin] [Vendetta] - An ingenious way to make use of food that would otherwise go to waste, the People regularly make pots full of mashed grains and water that go subtly off. The resulting drink is quite bitter, but also extremely fun! Costs: Staples, Materials. Produces: Luxuries.
Clay Pits [Admin] [Art] - Dirt is not always dirt, as the People have realized. Sometimes, it is stone waiting to be formed. By finding the right source, it's possible to create numerous, useful constructs out of earth. Cost: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Materials. Significant need.
Craftsmen [Art] - For the most part, the People make their own tools. Mostly they are crude implements of bone, stone and wood, but in recent days there has been the creation of a new group. These individuals create only the finest of crafts, producing tools that last far longer than most would expect. Costs: Staples, Materials. Produces: Craftworks.
Create Warrior Clan [Might Makes Right] [Vendetta] [Elitism] [Martial] [Admin] - The People have warriors well trained in the art of killing. By diverting more young people into these professions, preparations for war can be established. In a way, it is like knapping obsidian into a knife. An action that takes deliberation and planning, forethought, to be useful. Costs: Staples, Craftworks, Luxuries. Produces: Martial.
Encourage Arborists [Admin] - While the forests provide the least of the People's food, they have provided that which is most useful. Sugar is wonderous in taste and highly sought after as a trade goods. Evergreen tea soothes aching bodies and quiets headaches. There is much to be found in the unknown, perhaps rare, but of significant value. Costs: Craftworks, Staples. Produces: Materials.
Expand Farming [Familialism] [Admin] - The People have come to realize the bounty of the world is often not enough. They need to tame it and carefully manage the foods that are so important in sating their appetites. Costs: Nothing. Produces: Staples. (Soft Cap Reached)
Expand Fishing Fleets [Familialism] [Admin] - Most of the People live close to a river and are able to gather one of numerous sources of food. Often much easier to obtain than food from hunting and much less risky, these sources of food are much more vulnerable to shifts of the seasons and that of the weather. Costs: Craftworks. Produces: Staples.
Explore (Specify Direction?) [Mastery of Nature] [Martial] [Diplomacy] - There is much to be found in the world. Countless things, often placed by the hand of the spirits themselves. It is up to the People to find them. Costs: Nothing. Produces: Can reveal new resources.
Found Settlement (includes: Brick Wall, Shrine, Sugar Shack) [Mastery of Nature] [Familialism] [Elitism] [Admin] - While the People build homes where they will, often where food or resources can easily be found, these places are settled without organization or care. By founding a formal settlement, it becomes possible for central authority to exert itself before the People become too fracas. Costs: Materials, Craftworks, Staples, Luxuries, Martial. Produces: More Resource Slots. Current Settlement time based on available resources: 3 turns.
Help Holy Orders [Art] [Martial] [Admin] [Might Makes Right] [Mastery of Nature] - The People have numerous traditions of secretive cults. Groups that practice true magic, something that is rare but unbelievably potent. Provided it is harvest reliably; many have killed themselves in this mad pursuit. Costs: Staples, Craftworks, Luxuries. Produces: Martial, Magic. (Soft Cap Reached)
Make Miners (Crystal) [Art] [Mastery of Nature] - Stone has always been a resource used widely by the People. Not all stone, however, is created equal. Some is better than its cousins, whether because it is harder, sharper, or simply more beautiful. Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Luxuries. [Hard Cap Reached - Need Exploration]
Make Miners (Lapis Lazuli) [Art] [Mastery of Nature] - Stone has always been a resource used widely by the People. Not all stone, however, is created equal. Some is better than its cousins, whether because it is harder, sharper, or simply more beautiful. Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Luxuries. [Hard Cap Reached - Need Exploration]
Make Miners (Obsidian) [Art] Mastery of Nature] [Might Makes Right] - Stone has always been a resource used widely by the People. Not all stone, however, is created equal. Some is better than its cousins, whether because it is harder, sharper, or simply more beautiful. Costs: Staples. Produces: Craftworks. [Hard Cap Reached - Need Exploration]
Manage Hunting [Elitism] [Mastery of Nature] [Martial] - Improve upon the hunting techniques of the People. Work to increase the amount of meat that is available to consume and empower the People. A risky activity and one that requires a great investment of skill and energy, this provides the largest gains of food. Cost: Nothing. Produces: Staples, Martial. [Hard Cap Reached]
Raid (Mountain Clans, South Reach, Pearl Divers, Island Makers, Peace Builders, Enemies of the Peace Builders) [Might Makes Right] [Vendetta] [Martial] - The hunting of beasts turns now into the hunting of men. Strike down those who oppose the People so that we may be kept safe. Cost: Risks Temporary Damage to Martial score. Produces: Dead Enemies.
Study (Travel, Fire, Stone, Life, Beasts, Magic) [Art] - The world works in mysterious ways. It is not incomprehensible, however, merely opaque. The People just need time in order to unravel the hidden world. Costs: Nothing. Produces: Boosted [Tagged] research.
Sugar Shack [Admin] - The trees are love, the trees are life. Their sweet nectar is something that can be easily boiled down into a substance that can only be called the blessing of the spirits. We. Need. MORE! Costs: Materials, Staples. Produces: Luxuries.
Trade Caravan [Diplomacy] [Martial] - It is clear that the People do not hold all that is significant within the world. There are other tribes that hold interesting, useful or beautiful objects. By offering up some as gifts, things that the People do not have will be provided in return. Costs: Luxuries, Staples. Produces: Diplomacy, Magic.
Trade Post [Diplomacy] [Admin] - Sometimes other people have things of interest and they come willing to the People's lands in order to offer them up! By being welcoming and accommodating, it would be easily possible to convince them to hand over an even greater fraction of their stuff. Costs: Diplomacy. Produces: Luxuries.
Prepare for Ordeal [Ordeal] [Admin] - The spirits test the People, always. These tests are ones that require careful preparation and forethought. The People will be prepared. A crisis well managed is a sign of spiritual favour, one that's botched causes the People to further suffer. Cost: Nothing. Produces: Bonus to all stability checks this turn.
Empower Actions
Select three individuals to take (1) action on the People's behalf. The same individual may be selected multiple times. Tag votes as [Empower], if someone is being empowered multiple times, use a multiple (x2, x3, etc.).
Elder
Ember-Eye Shaman
Fang Pack-Leader
Frontier Leader
Frost-Scarred Warrior
Headman of Crystal Lake
Headman of Fingers
Headman of Hill Guard
Horned Rider
Lawspeaker
Star Shaman
Trader
Urbanite
War Chief
Megaprojects:
Artificial River [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (6 Actions) - Prerequisites not met.
The Dam [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (6 Actions) - Inspired by the feats of ingenuity demonstrated by a large, but common, rat, the People have decided to emulate their creations on a more massive scale. By blockaded a river, it would be possible to accumulate an enormous amount of water, something that could easily be put to use. Costs: Craftworks, Materials. Produces: Staples.
The World, A Shield [Mastery of Nature] [Might Makes Right] [Martial] [Admin] (12 Actions) - Prerequisites not met.
The World in Miniature [Mastery of Nature] [Diplomacy] [Admin] (7 actions) - The world is a grand place, seemingly endless in scope. The People's exploration and search for wonders has pushed them to find a way to more effectively communicate discoveries with each other. Trail markers are a start, but they are not easily portable. More can be done. Costs: Magic? Produces: Efficiency.
A Temple, Grand [Mastery of Nature] [Elitism] [Art] (8 Actions) - Prerequisites not met.
The Sisters Three [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (6 Actions) - Prerequisites not met.
A Field of Gold [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (6 Actions) - Prerequisites not met.
Extended Projects:
Archaic Charcoal Kilns (Arrow Lake, Hill Guard, Cave of Stars) [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] [Art] - The Ember-Eyes have discovered a secret of wood and fire. By carefully burning it, they can render it blackened and fragile. Somehow, this makes fire burn far hotter. How is it the elements dance when burning wood is not the same as wood cooked by fire? Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Greatly Elevated Materials Efficiency.
Extend Fire Relay (Hill Guard, Arrow Lake) [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] - The Fire Relay has served as the backbone of the People's communication and movement between The Fingers and Crystal Lake for longer than memory. With the recent founding of Hill Guard, the vaunted relay no longer stitches the People from one end to the other. This oversight must be corrected. Costs: Craftworks, Staples. Produces: General Efficiency.
Raise Temple (Arrow Lake) [Admin] [Art] (2 Actions) - A ritual place where the spirits and those they touch can work. Special facilities for magic, resources, teachings and the spirits themselves are included. Costs: Materials, Craftworks, Luxuries, Magic. Produces: Mysticism.
The Hill (The Fingers, Cave of Stars, Arrow Lake) [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (2 Actions) - A hill made by man. A simple construct, but one that greatly raises the defensive value of a settlement. Costs: Materials, Craftworks, Martial. Produces: Defense.
New Trails [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (4/15 Actions) - Inspired by the Fire Relay, these small trails are cut into the innumerable forests that surround the People. Serving as akin to veins in the body, they promote the free movement of goods and people. Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Efficiency, increases Soft Resource Cap.
Artisans [Art] [Elitism] - A very rare occupation, artisans are the group of individuals which make things beautiful. Their work can most often be found within the People's temples or adorning the bodies of the rich and powerful. To be an artisan means to be a craftsmen that's a cut above even the rest. Costs: Materials, Craftworks. Produces: Luxuries.
Building Breweries [Art] [Admin] [Vendetta] - An ingenious way to make use of food that would otherwise go to waste, the People regularly make pots full of mashed grains and water that go subtly off. The resulting drink is quite bitter, but also extremely fun! Costs: Staples, Materials. Produces: Luxuries.
Clay Pits [Admin] [Art] - Dirt is not always dirt, as the People have realized. Sometimes, it is stone waiting to be formed. By finding the right source, it's possible to create numerous, useful constructs out of earth. Cost: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Materials. Significant need.
Craftsmen [Art] - For the most part, the People make their own tools. Mostly they are crude implements of bone, stone and wood, but in recent days there has been the creation of a new group. These individuals create only the finest of crafts, producing tools that last far longer than most would expect. Costs: Staples, Materials. Produces: Craftworks.
Create Warrior Clan [Might Makes Right] [Vendetta] [Elitism] [Martial] [Admin] - The People have warriors well trained in the art of killing. By diverting more young people into these professions, preparations for war can be established. In a way, it is like knapping obsidian into a knife. An action that takes deliberation and planning, forethought, to be useful. Costs: Staples, Craftworks, Luxuries. Produces: Martial.
Encourage Arborists [Admin] - While the forests provide the least of the People's food, they have provided that which is most useful. Sugar is wonderous in taste and highly sought after as a trade goods. Evergreen tea soothes aching bodies and quiets headaches. There is much to be found in the unknown, perhaps rare, but of significant value. Costs: Craftworks, Staples. Produces: Materials.
Expand Farming [Familialism] [Admin] - The People have come to realize the bounty of the world is often not enough. They need to tame it and carefully manage the foods that are so important in sating their appetites. Costs: Nothing. Produces: Staples. (Soft Cap Reached)
Expand Fishing Fleets [Familialism] [Admin] - Most of the People live close to a river and are able to gather one of numerous sources of food. Often much easier to obtain than food from hunting and much less risky, these sources of food are much more vulnerable to shifts of the seasons and that of the weather. Costs: Craftworks. Produces: Staples.
Explore (Specify Direction?) [Mastery of Nature] [Martial] [Diplomacy] - There is much to be found in the world. Countless things, often placed by the hand of the spirits themselves. It is up to the People to find them. Costs: Nothing. Produces: Can reveal new resources.
Found Settlement (includes: Brick Wall, Shrine, Sugar Shack) [Mastery of Nature] [Familialism] [Elitism] [Admin] - While the People build homes where they will, often where food or resources can easily be found, these places are settled without organization or care. By founding a formal settlement, it becomes possible for central authority to exert itself before the People become too fracas. Costs: Materials, Craftworks, Staples, Luxuries, Martial. Produces: More Resource Slots. Current Settlement time based on available resources: 3 turns.
Help Holy Orders [Art] [Martial] [Admin] [Might Makes Right] [Mastery of Nature] - The People have numerous traditions of secretive cults. Groups that practice true magic, something that is rare but unbelievably potent. Provided it is harvest reliably; many have killed themselves in this mad pursuit. Costs: Staples, Craftworks, Luxuries. Produces: Martial, Magic. (Soft Cap Reached)
Make Miners (Crystal) [Art] [Mastery of Nature] - Stone has always been a resource used widely by the People. Not all stone, however, is created equal. Some is better than its cousins, whether because it is harder, sharper, or simply more beautiful. Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Luxuries. [Hard Cap Reached - Need Exploration]
Make Miners (Lapis Lazuli) [Art] [Mastery of Nature] - Stone has always been a resource used widely by the People. Not all stone, however, is created equal. Some is better than its cousins, whether because it is harder, sharper, or simply more beautiful. Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Luxuries. [Hard Cap Reached - Need Exploration]
Make Miners (Obsidian) [Art] Mastery of Nature] [Might Makes Right] - Stone has always been a resource used widely by the People. Not all stone, however, is created equal. Some is better than its cousins, whether because it is harder, sharper, or simply more beautiful. Costs: Staples. Produces: Craftworks. [Hard Cap Reached - Need Exploration]
Manage Hunting [Elitism] [Mastery of Nature] [Martial] - Improve upon the hunting techniques of the People. Work to increase the amount of meat that is available to consume and empower the People. A risky activity and one that requires a great investment of skill and energy, this provides the largest gains of food. Cost: Nothing. Produces: Staples, Martial. [Hard Cap Reached]
Raid (Mountain Clans, South Reach, Pearl Divers, Island Makers, Peace Builders, Enemies of the Peace Builders) [Might Makes Right] [Vendetta] [Martial] - The hunting of beasts turns now into the hunting of men. Strike down those who oppose the People so that we may be kept safe. Cost: Risks Temporary Damage to Martial score. Produces: Dead Enemies.
Study (Travel, Fire, Stone, Life, Beasts, Magic) [Art] - The world works in mysterious ways. It is not incomprehensible, however, merely opaque. The People just need time in order to unravel the hidden world. Costs: Nothing. Produces: Boosted [Tagged] research.
Sugar Shack [Admin] - The trees are love, the trees are life. Their sweet nectar is something that can be easily boiled down into a substance that can only be called the blessing of the spirits. We. Need. MORE! Costs: Materials, Staples. Produces: Luxuries.
Trade Caravan [Diplomacy] [Martial] - It is clear that the People do not hold all that is significant within the world. There are other tribes that hold interesting, useful or beautiful objects. By offering up some as gifts, things that the People do not have will be provided in return. Costs: Luxuries, Staples. Produces: Diplomacy, Magic.
Trade Post [Diplomacy] [Admin] - Sometimes other people have things of interest and they come willing to the People's lands in order to offer them up! By being welcoming and accommodating, it would be easily possible to convince them to hand over an even greater fraction of their stuff. Costs: Diplomacy. Produces: Luxuries.
Prepare for Ordeal [Ordeal] [Admin] - The spirits test the People, always. These tests are ones that require careful preparation and forethought. The People will be prepared. A crisis well managed is a sign of spiritual favour, one that's botched causes the People to further suffer. Cost: Nothing. Produces: Bonus to all stability checks this turn.
Empower Actions
Select three individuals to take (1) action on the People's behalf. The same individual may be selected multiple times. Tag votes as [Empower], if someone is being empowered multiple times, use a multiple (x2, x3, etc.).
Elder
Ember-Eye Shaman
Fang Pack-Leader
Frontier Leader
Frost-Scarred Warrior
Headman of Crystal Lake
Headman of Fingers
Headman of Hill Guard
Horned Rider
Lawspeaker
Star Shaman
Trader
Urbanite
War Chief
Megaprojects:
The Dam [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (6 Actions) - Inspired by the feats of ingenuity demonstrated by a large, but common, rat, the People have decided to emulate their creations on a more massive scale. By blockaded a river, it would be possible to accumulate an enormous amount of water, something that could easily be put to use. Costs: Craftworks, Materials. Produces: Staples.
The World in Miniature [Mastery of Nature] [Diplomacy] [Admin] (7 actions) - The world is a grand place, seemingly endless in scope. The People's exploration and search for wonders has pushed them to find a way to more effectively communicate discoveries with each other. Trail markers are a start, but they are not easily portable. More can be done. Costs: Magic? Produces: Efficiency.
Extended Projects:
Archaic Charcoal Kilns (Arrow Lake, Hill Guard, Cave of Stars) [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] [Art] - The Ember-Eyes have discovered a secret of wood and fire. By carefully burning it, they can render it blackened and fragile. Somehow, this makes fire burn far hotter. How is it the elements dance when burning wood is not the same as wood cooked by fire? Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Greatly Elevated Materials Efficiency.
Extend Fire Relay (Hill Guard, Arrow Lake) [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] - The Fire Relay has served as the backbone of the People's communication and movement between The Fingers and Crystal Lake for longer than memory. With the recent founding of Hill Guard, the vaunted relay no longer stitches the People from one end to the other. This oversight must be corrected. Costs: Craftworks, Staples. Produces: General Efficiency.
Raise Temple (Arrow Lake) [Admin] [Art] (2 Actions) - A ritual place where the spirits and those they touch can work. Special facilities for magic, resources, teachings and the spirits themselves are included. Costs: Materials, Craftworks, Luxuries, Magic. Produces: Mysticism.
The Hill (The Fingers, Cave of Stars, Arrow Lake) [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (2 Actions) - A hill made by man. A simple construct, but one that greatly raises the defensive value of a settlement. Costs: Materials, Craftworks, Martial. Produces: Defense.
New Trails [Mastery of Nature] [Admin] (4/15 Actions) - Inspired by the Fire Relay, these small trails are cut into the innumerable forests that surround the People. Serving as akin to veins in the body, they promote the free movement of goods and people. Costs: Staples, Craftworks. Produces: Efficiency, increases Soft Resource Cap.
Note: Failing to take a [Mastery of Nature] action will cost Stability! Can Double Down at cost of 15 Stability on an action by adding a sub tag to that specific action.
AN: Vote is currently locked until a threadmark is put up in the morning.
Looking at the action list, we've managed to raise our soft cap on clay pits (but not the hard cap on hunting). @Redium, what would we need to be able to expand our herding (since we have that at "Extreme Capacity Remaining")? Also, how important is it to specify a direction for exploration?
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- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He
We can tame orkers faster if we make this event a festival. Getting to mounts that can support the majority of our population will also help us preserve the traditions of the Horned Riders when they intermarry and become too big for caribou.
[ ] [Orker] It was to be commemorated in festival. (Annual Festival)
[ ] [Orker] It was to be commemorated in festival. (Annual Festival)