Movement Phase
Speaker-Mob tries to disengage: 27 -> Failed
Snow-Fox tries to reign in the Villager-Mob: 37 -> Success, but Villager-Mob still acts freely this turn
Combat Phase
Speaker-Mob tries to surrender, but Villager-Mob gives no quarter!
Villager-Mob:
73 - 40 (Rabble) + 60 (Frenzy!) vs 11 - 40 (Rabble) - 40 (Routing) = 93 vs -69
Speaker-Mob at 144/500
I imagine the whole "murder the surrendering rabble" thing that just happened really upped the bloodshed.
I imagine that one way to "integrate" is to murder a significant portion of the Tribe until you end up with the remnants that agree with each other, but I still think it is a rather poor decision overall.
Movement Phase
Speaker-Mob tries to disengage: 27 -> Failed
Snow-Fox tries to reign in the Villager-Mob: 37 -> Success, but Villager-Mob still acts freely this turn
Combat Phase
Speaker-Mob tries to surrender, but Villager-Mob gives no quarter!
Villager-Mob:
73 - 40 (Rabble) + 60 (Frenzy!) vs 11 - 40 (Rabble) - 40 (Routing) = 93 vs -69
Speaker-Mob at 144/500
I imagine the whole "murder the surrendering rabble" thing that just happened really upped the bloodshed.
I imagine that one way to "integrate" is to murder a significant portion of the Tribe until you end up with the remnants that agree with each other, but I still think it is a rather poor decision overall.
Well, I was reading up on some 30 skulls stacked like eggs in some neolithic site that was taken as a sign of how lethal pre-historic warfare could be and was wondering how bloody our little rumble is to other stonge-age peoples. I'm guessing it might be famous in this quest distant future. I'm just wondering what this quest archaeologists would look at this or define it. What kind of theories.
Movement Phase
Speaker-Mob tries to disengage: 27 -> Failed
Snow-Fox tries to reign in the Villager-Mob: 37 -> Success, but Villager-Mob still acts freely this turn
Combat Phase
Speaker-Mob tries to surrender, but Villager-Mob gives no quarter!
Villager-Mob:
73 - 40 (Rabble) + 60 (Frenzy!) vs 11 - 40 (Rabble) - 40 (Routing) = 93 vs -69
Speaker-Mob at 144/500
I imagine the whole "murder the surrendering rabble" thing that just happened really upped the bloodshed.
I imagine that one way to "integrate" is to murder a significant portion of the Tribe until you end up with the remnants that agree with each other, but I still think it is a rather poor decision overall.
Angry mobs are hard to stand down. But we're now left with two heroes, the skilled hunters, and all the rabble vs one band of elites(also the elders are likely dead, whoops)
Angry mobs are hard to stand down. But we're now left with two heroes, the skilled hunters, and all the rabble vs one band of elites(also the elders are likely dead, whoops)
Even though they made the trip from their camp near the cracks amazingly fast, even knowing that pushing her hunters any further would weaken them for the upcoming fight, Red-Wolf still felt she took too long. Precious moments she had wasted to call together the most influential hunters among her group, preparing to talk them around to her views on what transpired in the village. It had not been necessary. The hunters, even though some of them even hailed from the rebelling clans, flatly told her that they would not follow murderous traitors. Their spears were hers to command. Wasting not any more of her time, the group marched then at there, Red-Wolf hoping all the way to the village that she would arrive before the battle could begin, but it was not meant to be.
Her hunters fanned out among the huts, quickly moving through them and rushing towards the council's hut. The battle had begun already, the shouting telling as much, yet it was not until Red-Wolf came to see her goal itself that she saw what was going on. Her worst fears seemed to be confirmed as the first signs of the fight were the villages hunters trying to flee from it, though as she got closer, she saw that they had taken a heavy toll from the Elm-Clan. This time, unlike in the winter, there was no shortage of arrows and clans' bows had struck down many of the hunters. Yet they had not broken immediately under the onslaught, using the lids of baskets to shield themselves from the arrows and viciously striking down the overconfident warriors in turn. Not all was well though, as flames licked to the sky from the roof of the council hut, the warriors having clearly taken it. It seemed as if all was for naught, until Red-Wolf saw at least the Great Elder Winter-Sun amidst the retreating hunters. Of the Great Matron Crocus, though, there was no sign.
1 Squad of Hunters (Red-Wolf): 96 -> squad fully loyal to Red-Wolf, despite clan allegiance, Veteran / Good
Movement Phase
Clans: sending 1 Hunter Squad (Elite / Vigorous) to attack the council, 1 Mob (Rabble / Wavering) stays to protect the clan holdings
75 + 10 (Planning) = 85 -> swift and undetected movement
Combat Phase
Elm-Clan
97 + 28 (Exploding Dice) + 40 (Elite) + 40 (Vigorous) + 10 (Warriors) vs 98 + 78 (Exploding Dice) = 215 vs. 176
Hunters at 461 / 500
Critical Success allows attack at council members:
Great-Elder Winter-Sun: 53-> Not attacked
Great-Matron Crocus: 6 -> Slain
Hunters
72 + 17 (Exploding Dice from enemy crit-fail) vs 1 + 40 (Elite) + 40 (Vigorous) + 10 (Warriors) = 89 vs 51
Elm-Clan at 462 / 500
Morale Phase
Hunters: 15 + 30 (Dealt Heavy Damage) - 50 (Took Heavy Damage) + 10 (Perseverance) - 10 (Ruthlessness) = -5 -> Moral drops to Routing
Elm-Clan: 60 + 30 (Dealt Heavy Damage) - 50 (Took Heavy Damage) + 10 (Perseverance) + 20 (Warriors) - 10 (Ruthlessness) = 60 -> No Change
Immediately she began to call to the fleeing hunters, trying to turn them around and join her force in a counter-attack, though chaos had already set in among their ranks. When they turned around, the Elm-Clan's charge crashed into them. Spears tore limbs and throats apart, many of the hunters being trampled down by the ferocious attack and then lazily stabbed to death as they lay on the ground by the rear of the warriors' forces. The Great Elder Winter-Sun disappeared from Red-Wolf's sight as the men protecting him were overrun and she knew better than to expect to see him getting up again. It left a bitter taste in her mouth that this carnage was the best opening she could have hoped for. The enemy was distracted and its once orderly groups strewn apart. The charge of her own hunters tore through the clan in turn.
There was no glory to be found in the slaughter among their home. Men and women died in droves, panicked villagers fleeing their huts as retreating fighters tried to hide in them, just to get cut down in the confusion. By the time Snow-Fox came to the site of the burning councils hut, it was over. The very center of their home was drenched in blood and bodies, the toll as heavy on the defenders as it was on the rebels. The very sign of the tribe's unity was burning and before the flames reached the ground, a hunter had went in to confirm what everyone suspected. The Great Matron Crocus had been slain, her body mangled by uncountable spear wounds. The Great Elder Winter-Sun did not fare any better, the clans warriors having kicked at his skull until it burst while tearing his body apart with their spears. Both were laid down near the large fireplace before the councils hut, hunters standing guard solemnly over the bodies of their dead leaders.
As for those who had instigated this insanity, they too lay dead. At some point during Red-Wolf's attack, the leaders of both the Elm-Clan and the Speaker-Clan had been slain. They had not been mutilated or dismembered by angry hunters, just stabbed twice each. Once to bring them down and a second time to confirm the kill, just as a hunter did with a stag. In the end, Red-Wolf was happy for that outcome. No amount of carnage done to their bodies could measure up to this insult. The great leaders of the great clans died like everyone around them, no acts of valor by them or great attention spared to their fate, just two more bodies for the pile.
Turn 2
Movement Phase
Red-Wolf tries to rally the hunters: 69 -> Moral check allowed
Hunters: 58 + 50 (Rallied by Great Hunter) + 20 (Reinforcements) - 50 (Took Heavy Damage) + 10 (Perseverance) - 10 (Ruthlessness) = 78 -> Moral raised to Wavering, Hunters can fight this turn
Combat Phase
Elm-Clan
Pursuing fleeing hunters.
100 + 92 (Exploding Dice) + 40 (Elite) + 40 (Vigorous) + 10 (Warriors) vs 27 - 20 (Wavering) = 242 vs 7
Hunters at 226 / 500
Critical Success allows attack at council members:
Great-Elder Winter-Sun: 24-> Slain
Hunters
54 - 20 (Wavering) vs 39 + 40 (Elite) + 40 (Vigorous) + 10 (Warriors) = 34 vs 89
No damage
Morale Phase
Skipped. Clans collapse due to loss of leadership.
But as it became clear that the fighting was over, there was insecurity about what to do. Of the council, only Snow-Fox had survived. Nobody knew if he even could make choices on his own, and finding new members for the council would be difficult. A new Great Matron could maybe be found after a while, for there was still many of them, even if most would have no desire to join the council. Of the elders, though, barely any were left, and the last few with any standing in the village had been cut down alongside Winter-Sun. On the side of the clans, by Tall-Peak's death in combat, Red-Wolf was now chieftain by default, but chieftain of what exactly? The lesser clans had bowed to the council and of those that did not and the major clans, most now lay dead. For all intents and purposes, the clans had been destroyed, making her chieftain of nothing at all.
Yet the people flocked to them, asking for orders or what the two of them would do now. Clansmen came to them, swearing in blood that they would serve them loyally and soon enough villagers joined in on that, despite Snow-Fox's attempts to discourage all of it. The tribe was deathly afraid of what had happened in their midst and now they grasped for safety, whatever shape it would take.
What was done about the tribes desire for leadership?
[] [Leadership] They were told that the council would be reassembled as it was as soon as possible. (???)
[] [Leadership] The council would be restructured. The seats would be no longer tied to one group, but whenever one was vacant, any villager of good standing could become the new Councillor. (Council positions no longer tied to one specific faction, ???)
[] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[] [Leadership] Write-In
What was done with the many dead of this night?
[] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
[] [Dead] Throw the traitors into the river. No sign of them shall be left and no honorable burial shall they receive.
[] [Dead] Take off their heads and put them on stakes around the village. The tribe is strong and it behooves everyone to remember the price of attacking it.
AN: Keep in mind that the political reform, if you want to make one, needs to be fast. Beside the other consequences, how you deal with that issue will decide how much stability you regain now that the civil-war is formally over.
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[X] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
We need stability and the fastest political reform is likely just our great hunters seizing power in the direct aftermath. Let a bond between our two peoples lead us to future prosperity. The dead vote reinforces the new rites and hopefully isn't as offensive as the other two options.
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[X] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
We need stability and the fastest political reform is likely just our great hunters seizing power in the direct aftermath. Let a bond between our two peoples lead us to future prosperity. The dead vote reinforces the new rites and hopefully isn't as offensive as the other two options.
[X] [Leadership] The council would be restructured. The seats would be no longer tied to one group, but whenever one was vacant, any villager of good standing could become the new Councillor. (Council positions no longer tied to one specific faction, ???)
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
One of these either reform the council and truly unite the tribes or have the chieftains unite them by blood.
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[X] [Dead] Throw the traitors into the river. No sign of them shall be left and no honorable burial shall they receive.
well this happened...damn...well its probably best this happened sooner, chiefdom generally has the centralized powers...but also councils can work to, just as long as everyone can work together for the betterment of the clan...
this is going to hurt us in the long run...best to prepare as much as possible this turn.
This whole chain of events is illustrating what I said a while ago about the dictates of "common wisdom". While it is not inevitable that chiefdoms emerge, it is a likely development.
You were hit by a major crisis right after you began to pick up the pieces after the last one, making people long for a strong leadership to fix everything. Thus chiefdom is on the table again.
Mind you, if you pick that option, it's not a hereditary title by any means. That takes a lot of time and tradition to emerge.
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[X] [Dead] Throw the traitors into the river. No sign of them shall be left and no honorable burial shall they receive.
I humbly suggest that we let this Divine Marriage rule the tribe. In this time of troubles and confusions, a strong, steady hand is needed to hold together the tribe in the face of all the recent slaughter. Both great hunters are well-respected and much-loved; they have the popular legitimacy to rule, and rule well. While picking random members of the tribe may feed a democratic fetish, it is neither representative of the power dynamics within the tribe (because factions becoming decoupled from political representation -> internal coups) nor wise (we cannot assure that said villagers are worthy to sit at such an august table).
As the GM has said, this need not be a hereditary title by any means, though we should not fear that either. All the early civilizations of the world-- and in fact, most governments throughout history-- have been monarchies, and it is no shame to be one.
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[X] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
Actually, I'm changing my burial vote to throwing them in the river. I don't want to even imply that cannibalism is prestigious or a privilege. The GM's already said it won't cause offense so I think:
[] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
[X] [Leadership] The council would be restructured. The seats would be no longer tied to one group, but whenever one was vacant, any villager of good standing could become the new Councillor. (Council positions no longer tied to one specific faction, ???)
Can we not devolve into authoritarianism at the first sign of trouble? This whole crisis was started by attempting to forcibly relocate people.
Actually, I'm changing my burial vote to throwing them in the river. I don't want to even imply that cannibalism is prestigious or a privilege. The GM's already said it won't cause offense so I think:
[] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
Nope. The tacit approval of the lesser clans performing their own rites before turning the body over to the Bone-Tenders has already made it a privilege. You are not reinforcing cannibalism by doing this.
Actually, I'm changing my burial vote to throwing them in the river. I don't want to even imply that cannibalism is prestigious or a privilege. The GM's already said it won't cause offense so I think:
[] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
Nope. The tacit approval of the lesser clans performing their own rites before turning the body over to the Bone-Tenders has already made it a privilege. You are not reinforcing cannibalism by doing this.
I just don't like the way things are going recently. Attempting to forcibly desegregate the clans, some voters actually eager to rush to violence when it doesn't work out, and then using the chaos to switch from democracy to authoritarianism. The villagers are becoming worse than the cannibals.
Gladly. I don't want you guys to pick something you will regret later out of misplaced fear of a polarizing issue.
I'm a great believer in actions having consequences (see this whole mess), but not in letting you run around with faulty assumptions that the IC characters wouldn't fall to.
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[X] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
[X] [Leadership] The council would be restructured. The seats would be no longer tied to one group, but whenever one was vacant, any villager of good standing could become the new Councillor. (Council positions no longer tied to one specific faction, ???)
Wow everyone went authoritarian really fast at the first sight of trouble. A bit depressing but not uncommon, but I honestly don't think it's a good idea.
What was done about the tribes desire for leadership?
[] [Leadership] They were told that the council would be reassembled as it was as soon as possible. (???)
The old model of electing by job roles. Would be due for shakeups as society grows more complex. Also we're kind of missing all the Elders.
[] [Leadership] The council would be restructured. The seats would be no longer tied to one group, but whenever one was vacant, any villager of good standing could become the new Councillor. (Council positions no longer tied to one specific faction, ???)
This is basically elected for life terms, but by general popular appeal. This would amplify the impact of fads and short term factional glory, which would mean some fiddly action selection down the line, in exchange for having issues actually being brought up or the village would pick someone who'd represent them otherwise.
Basically an outlet for low influence factions, but crude.
[] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
Go straight to authoritarianism. Most stable short term, but long term it tends to bury problems for later, because authority can easily suppress dissent until dissent is overwhelming. Changing this will be expensive in blood.
[] [Leadership] Write-In
We can implement other means of selecting leaders. Just remember nothing too complicated, since we're pretty few people left.
What was done with the many dead of this night?
[] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
Reinforces the new rites, and buries the hatchet as much as we can. They
[] [Dead] Throw the traitors into the river. No sign of them shall be left and no honorable burial shall they receive.
Throwing lots of dead bodies in the river and teaching scavengers and predators that humans are good to eat is I think, pretty bad as an overall plan.
[] [Dead] Take off their heads and put them on stakes around the village. The tribe is strong and it behooves everyone to remember the price of attacking it.
Ruthlessness+++
[X] [Leadership] The council would be restructured. The seats would be no longer tied to one group, but whenever one was vacant, any villager of good standing could become the new Councillor. (Council positions no longer tied to one specific faction, ???)
[X] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
[X] [Leadership] The tribe needed stronger leaders then the council, thus Snow-Fox and Red-Wolf would lead it as chieftains. (Government becomes Tribal Chiefdom, ???)
[X] [Dead] Bury them by the new rites. The exception made for of lesser clans to keep to their old rites is a privilege that these traitors do not deserve.
You only lost 10% of your population, which would be mind-boggling to modern people, but is not that uncommon at the current time, due to populations being so small.
Though normally that's the result of famine or sickness. This civil-war managed to be tremendously bloody by pre-industrial standards. I blame my dice roller for consistently giving extreme results. Units usually break at 5% to 10% losses, not 50%.
You only lost 10% of your population, which would be mind-boggling to modern people, but is not that uncommon at the current time, due to populations being so small.
Though normally that's the result of famine or sickness. This civil-war managed to be tremendously bloody by pre-industrial standards. I blame my dice roller for consistently giving extreme results. Units usually break at 5% to 10% losses, not 50%.
