The main omake I've been trying to get my muse up for is actually an ASOIAF Crossover. Felt there were quite a few similar things there, from mysterious and poorly understood but nonetheless present and frightening supernatural and magic, to Winter being an absolute dick whose minions lean heavily on the Dead.
Solomon Kane was actually my first choice in the Howard canon, but his inclusion is tricky. At this point in time, he's an old man and a Kane whose strength has been stolen by age doesn't really appeal to me. Nor is he the type to accept a devil's bargain for immortality. He's also just connected enough to RL history to make moving him forward in the timeline a serious headache.
As such, most of my ideas have been regarding his legacy. A group of Hunters founded by those Kane aided in his travels, a descendant figuring out how to deal with the Statf of Solomon he just inherited, that sort of thing.
However, I think I might have found a way to make Kane work. Perhaps he obtained a relic of Raguel, Angel of Justice that revitalized him. Any such item would probably inflict upon its wielder a life of constantly hunting for villains. Such a burden is fine for angels, but not so much for humans. Very few souls would be willing to bear it long enough to significantly extend their lives.
It would be price worthy of a devil's bargain to most men, but I doubt Kane would mind or even notice. This is a guy who hunted a man from France to Africa for killing a woman he barely knew. By the time the compulsions would set in, he's already on the hunt! @OldShadow, would that be a sufficient price for immortality?
Solomon Kane was actually my first choice in the Howard canon, but his inclusion is tricky. At this point in time, he's an old man and a Kane whose strength has been stolen by age doesn't really appeal to me. Nor is he the type to accept a devil's bargain for immortality. He's also just connected enough to RL history to make moving him forward in the timeline a serious headache.
As such, most of my ideas have been regarding his legacy. A group of Hunters founded by those Kane aided in his travels, a descendant figuring out how to deal with the Statf of Solomon he just inherited, that sort of thing.
However, I think I might have found a way to make Kane work. Perhaps he obtained a relic of Raguel, Angel of Justice that revitalized him. Any such item would probably inflict upon its wielder a life of constantly hunting for villains. Such a burden is fine for angels, but not so much for humans. Very few souls would be willing to bear it long enough to significantly extend their lives.
It would be price worthy of a devil's bargain to most men, but I doubt Kane would mind or even notice. This is a guy who hunted a man from France to Africa for killing a woman he barely knew. By the time the compulsions would set in, he's already on the hunt! @OldShadow, would that be a sufficient price for immortality?
Hmmm, I am not sure if it thematically work...
I have a very simple proposal : perhaps Solomon Kane, a man devoured by rage, madness and a need for justice far above all others...simply did not notice his death ?
And now, all around Europe and Africa, they speak of a man dressed in black, eyes burning, sword in hand, that emerge from the darkness to hunt without rest slaver, pillagers and others evildoers, his skin as dry and used as parchment left in the sands of the Sahara...
I must say, it is somewhat terrifying that becoming undead changes little about Solomon Kane : The man is as obsessive and restless as a haunting specter already.
And the price of Solomon's immortality is backed in : if he ever stops, rests and no longer chases evildoers, he will simply turn into a corpse.
Finally, the story that I promised is here! It is going to be a long one and I hope you enjoy it!
Py-Rats: The Origin of Ratlings
Captain Dufort stood on the quarterdeck watching his seamen check the ropes and load cargo on board. One of the men nearly stumbles with a crate before righting himself while another reties the same knot for a third time. Many of them were obviously not experienced on the strict standards and etiquette of a military vessel, but they would have to suffice for this voyage. The mission that he was given held great importance to the future of the Two Crowns.
Drumming his fingers on the rail, he briefly inspected the mass of filthy bodies huddled together on the docks with a dismissive glance. The manifest had already told him everything that was needed. Many of them were petty criminals, vagrants, and the very desperate with enough skill and strength to be useful. These men and women would also be his most valuable cargo for the next few months until they could set up fortifications in the New World.
He turned to the older man in black vestments on his right. "Monsieur l'abbé, I believe that you will have many difficulties with your new flock. They are all sinners of one kind or another with a liking to superstition. I've already seen some taking out amulets and shying away from cats."
"Please, you have no need to be so formal since we'll be together for the next few weeks; call me Bertram. I knew what difficulties I would have when I volunteered to be the guiding light for this new colony. News of godless pagans and witchcraft is common in the New World."
Dufort laughed. "I would think that a learned man of the church wouldn't believe such rumors. They are just fanciful tales made to sell pamphlets and attract foolish treasure seekers. Let the Spanish look for their cities of fools gold and fight imaginary monsters!"
"I'm surprised that a sailor would dismiss such talk. I'd come to believe that they loved tall tales and superstition. But back to the point, they may not be real but belief in such things can quickly turn a man from the Lord. One must always keep watch of the sheep less they wander."
"That is the truth both in the house of the Lord and in the lands of the king. The Inquisition does a good job hunting heretics and the Huntsmen finding traitors. But I find that we have talked for too long. You need to give prayer with the passengers, and I must track down the quartermaster. It was a pleasure speaking to you Bertram."
"The same could be said for you Captain Dufort."
"You may just call me Conrad."
Both of them shook hands while they went their separate ways, the priest quickly moving towards a gangplank while the captain made sure that his lieutenant had control of the ship. There was cargo being loaded yet the quartermaster was neglecting his duties by not overseeing it. He never left the ship, so there could only be one place he could be and one person he could be with.
With that thought, Conrad burst through the door to the ship's galley. A great cloud of smoke and the acrid smell of burning tobacco hit his face like a wave hitting the shore. Through the haze he saw a craggy-faced old man in an apron missing an eye sitting on a bench with a much younger naval officer, both with long smoking pipes in their hands.
The captain locked eyes with the old man. "Peter, you cyclopian lurdane cook! I see you've decided to lure my quartermaster away to laze around and smoke Indian leaves while we are loading cargo."
Peter casually removed the pipe from his mouth while blowing out a smoke ring. "Ah captain, it is good to see that you are taking a break from yelling at the men above to come below to yell at us. Why don't you sit down and pick up a pipe?"
Before Conrad could speak, the younger man tried to speak. "Captain Dufort, I apologize for leaving my station. I just got distracted and needed something to keep my mind sharp and …"
Peter clamped his hand down on the boy's shoulder. "Pierce, I think that the captain would like you to get back on deck and check all the cargo we're bringing aboard. Me and him are going to gab for a bit."
The quartermaster looked to the captain who just gave him a slight nod. With that signal Peirce quickly ran out of the room as fast as he could. That left the two men to stare at each other; both were unwilling to break eye contact. Peter slowly moved his pipe in front of his face, but didn't put it in his mouth. Instead, he simply put a scarred thumb over the bowl quickly extinguishing it.
The captain spoke first. "You're a bad influence on the newer members of the crew. I'm tempted to put you to the lash if I didn't know it wouldn't make you shed a tear. I can't be seen as lenient among the men, so you're going to need a fitting punishment."
Peter sighed. "Aye, I understand. This ship won't get far without an iron hand to hold onto this lot of swabs. I've rattled my chains a bit too loud."
"For this trip I'll be taking your pipes and tobacco till we reach the Americas. I'll allow you your vices, but only under my watch. Now, tell me what has got the crew so worried."
"Too much bad luck for their liking. Moving some unmarried women with the other passenger would have been fine, but bringing along one of Jonah's ilk will only lead to tragedy. We're sailing into the heart of Neptune's kingdom where godly men are unwelcome."
"You already know what I think of your superstition. A bit of fear might even help them stay in line. Give me something more substantial than ghost stories to worry about."
"Then let me give you another reason. I don't trust the sailing master to do a proper job of charting the waters and gales. I believe he would be a good man for any other journey as he has rounded the cape, but we are sailing into the great Atlantic. No men of the Normans know their currents."
"Then it is good that we won't be trusting the knowledge of the Normans. We'll be taking the route of the Spanish to the East Indies then sail north past New Spain. The monarchy needs a fort farther south to watch the coasts."
"Fair is fair, but I still feel an ache in my bones."
"Whether you think this trip will succeed or not is irrelevant. We have our orders and are already loading up. I'll be needed back on deck to insure order. You better prepare yourself for having many more mouths to feed. I'll come back for your tobacco when we leave port."
With that Captain Dufort as quickly as he entered. Getting onto his feet, the cook limped to the galley's window and took a coin from his pocket. He gently tossed it out into the water and gave a small prayer. Rubbing the stigmata of a star on his arm, he knew that a storm was brewing. What he didn't know is that the ship would be carrying a royal passenger. Deep in the cargo hold of the galleon, hidden among the crates and barrels, dozens of small forms stirred in the dark. Furry forms made nests out of any material they could get their paws on to make the rest of their journey more comfortable. In the center standing on his hind legs was the one leading them all; Rous II, King of the Red Rats.
It both gave him great joy and sadness to see the last of his subjects working hard. From a kingdom of thousands to just a paw full of loyal survivors. He would gladly have given his tail to have saved even more of them, but one could only do so much about the past.
Damn his treasonous cousins all of their ilk! His family had ruled justly for many generations after the Second Great Awakening, yet they repaid them only with death. Now his clan was in self imposed exile to places unknown while they took the throne. Yet even with that, he still had the last chirp.
The deposed king gingerly took off his crown to look at it in the dimness of his tiny kingdom. He had removed the gold and gems surrounding it to leave only a shell behind for the usurpers to fight over. In front of him he held the true power behind it; the seven tails of the first rat king weaved together into a circlet. Even when only in his paws, he could still feel the magic flowing into him.
As long as he held onto this artifact, he would have the wisdom of the kings of the past to help guide him and some other esoteric abilities. It had already helped him on his journey to escape detection, gather his followers, and find an unsupervised crate to stowaway in. Now he used it to stay hidden from predators, steal food, and hunt down rivals aboard the ship. Already in their first seven suns they had taken out a great feline with no-one being the wiser.
Even with that success, he still worried. Their journey would most likely take a bit more than a moon to fully complete and so much could go wrong in that time. With that thought he put the crown back on his head. With a shock he felt as if his senses suddenly expanded. His nose twitched while smelling what little fresh air made it to them and his ears swiveled to listen to the world outside the hull. He smelled rain and heard thunder.
He squeaked as loud as he could. "Everyone prepare yourselves for a storm. Move everyone between the ribs of the ship. Surround the pups in as much nest material as you can."
Suddenly the whole hive was a sea of movement. Mothers carried newborns in their teeth while older ones clung to their fathers. Some went to gather food but Rous quickly got them back on track. They didn't have much time to prepare. Food was replaceable, but his people were not.
In a matter of hours there were dozens of rats huddling on the sides of the hull holding on to the caulk in preparation for what would happen next. They had spread out as best they could to not risk something happening to kill all of them. Even if the worst were to happen, at least some of them would survive.
It took an hour of waiting for the ship to begin rocking back and forth. It was a slow process starting with a tilt of only a few degrees back and forth, then it started to increase in ferocity. The whole world went completely black as even the smallest beam of light was blocked by clouds. The yells of the humans above them became louder and louder. Crashes could be heard all around. Barrels broke soaking everything in water. More and more bits were thrown around. It would go on for hours. Conrad Dufort marked another line on the page of his diary. Counting all of them they numbered thirty six; a bit more than a month stuck at the mercy of the ocean. They didn't know where they were in the world and had no way to escape. It didn't even matter that they had saved the sails and mast; there was no wind.
Neither he nor the sailing master had ever heard of such a place, but he had heard the whispers between the older sailors. In private, Peter had told him about it while smoking his pipe about what some called dead winds. There were some parts of the ocean where the sun beat down from above and not a single breeze could be felt. For some it would last for days and others for weeks.
In the first week, everyone was still in shock from all that had happened. Five sailors had been flung overboard, including the sailing master and lieutenant, while two passengers had broken their necks below deck. Bertram held a funeral for all those lost while the dead were thrown overboard. It was a solemn affair and he was ashamed to say that his mind was elsewhere.
In the hold of the ship they had found that some of the cargo had come loose. A few broken crates, spilled nails, and broken tools were of little importance, however the provisions were what had worried him the most. Some barrels of hardtack, salt pork, and dried fish had broken open with their content spread around. It would not have been an issue if it weren't for a third of the water barrels breaking open. He needed to set an example to the men before they became restless.
Quartermaster Pierce had been tied to the mainmast standing up with his back facing out. For his failure to secure the hold, he had given Pierce eighteen lashings with a many tailed whip in the view of the whole crew. At the end of it the man had hunched over weeping as blood ran down his back. He would be cared for, but only after the beaten and bruised passengers.
Everything remained calm for the next two weeks. The sailors told stories to pass the time and keep up morale. To the same effect he had increased the beer ration slightly and allowed the priest to use his cabin for confession. The only real problem was the lack of water, lack of wind, and the surplus of rats. The last one had made the ship cats rather well fed. Yet this calm could not last.
It has started with people getting weak and unwilling to get out of bed. At first they were thought to have melancholy, but then they started yelling of aching bones though bleeding gums. They had gotten the scurvy. The cook lamented a lack of citrus that he said could cure the disease, and no-one else could think of a solution. Then the damned priest had to open his mouth.
Maybe the heat of the sun had cooked his brain or the scurvy was getting to him, it didn't really matter. At the forecastle he stood and barked his words to the weary crowd. This was all a punishment from God for the sins that they had committed! All that they needed to do was fast and repent for the winds to come and their disease to be cured. With people getting so little rations, some decided that it wasn't much of a leap to have none.
His followers were steadfast in their resolve and there was even a spot of hope. One morning a woman pointed off at the horizon, but everyone who looked only saw water. The next day she lay dead, then another, then another, and then another. All of this while the preaching kept coming. Eventually, some decided that he was the reason why they were trapped and there was only one solution. The result of their work could be seen hanging from the foremast. Conrad personally executed those responsible without bothering to throw out their bodies.
That brought the poor captain to his current situation within his quarters. The desire for food and water had only increased such that he needed to lock the hold. The passengers had decided to kill the cats for food and were now even hunting down the rats. He had cut down three that he suspected of having supplemented their diet with another type of meat. Soon enough others would do the same with no-one to stop them.
From the corner of his room there was a shrill voice. "Captain wake up, there is much for us to talk about."
Conrad grabbed the sword he kept at his bedside and wildly looked into the dark corners of his room shouting into them. "Who is there? You are trespassing in the quarters of a naval officer? Show yourself!"
"Oh captain, I am simply another passenger trapped on this doomed ship unable to escape. A noble of a people both foreign and familiar to you with powers that are useless to me but useful to you." The figure moved out of the darkness and the captain almost dropped his weapon. "We are King Rous the Second, and we wish to form a pact with you."
Conrad Dufort could only stare at the sight that showed itself in the light of the moon. A red haired rat standing at almost two feet on its hind legs was before him. It had spoken to him in the voice of a man. It had asked to form a pact. It had called itself a king.
In his addled mind Dufort could only think of one response. "Get back, demon! I serve only one king and one God! Keep your filth and disease away from me!"
"Sir, we only have the most noble of intentions. There are ways that both of our people can be saved. I only require a single drop of blood from each to cure them."
Dufort kept stepping backwards. "Shut your mouth! I will make no agreement with an unholy spawn of hell. My soul remains my own even to death!"
"There is no need for any further death and bloodshed. I have no need for your soul, only the works of your body."
"I said stay back! Let the Lord cast you out of this place and lift whatever curse you have placed on this vessel!"
With that last exclamation the half-mad captain was finally able to get to his cabin door, open it, and run into the night. The king could only fall back down to his paws and grieve. The tears from his eyes fell to the floor like his hope for his people. As he stood there he did not hear the limping steps traveling into the room.
"Pick your head off the ground little king for there is still a chance for all the people on this ship. While the captain has rejected your offer, I am more than willing to listen."
Rous looked up in surprise to the craggy one-eyed face looking down at him. "You are the ship's food maker! I thank you for your willingness to lend your ear, but I must ask what you are doing here."
"A cook can only succeed if he has good ears for rumors and a good nose for trouble. I was waiting to talk to the captain about the food situation, but heard your conversation instead."
The king perked up at those words. "So it was just by luck that you are here, or maybe even providence. There is much that we must talk of if both of our people are to survive. Where would you like to start?"
"I'll start by asking some questions to clear up this fog between us. What is this business about blood? It sounded like you had a way to cure the scurvy."
"The first part of your question is quite simple. While many of your people die from many diseases, mine are only weakened by them. I have never had one of my people suffer from the ailment of scurvy. I believe that by binding our people in blood we may spread our immunity to you."
"Then I suppose the part about our bodies would be payment for this service? I hope that you aren't going to try possessing us like the ones below."
"By all that lies under the moon, what a horrid thought! We have no intent to do any unholy acts to your people. We only require you to use your hands to guide the ship. I am the largest of my people yet would be unable to move even a single of your sails with ten more my equal. Of course, I feel uncertain that I can trust all those onboard to not betray us."
"Then it is a fair bargain. We won't know if your blood magic will help us and you don't know if we won't put a boot on your back. Anything sweeter would be too good for an honest man, or I suppose rat, to suggest. Though there is still one thing that worries me."
"Tell me your concern and I will do my best to alleviate it."
"There isn't much food and water left in the hold for all of us to eat. Men only have a stomach for more wholesome foods, so what is left of it must be kept to give the crew strength."
"Then what, pray tell, will we rats eat?"
"There is one source of food that we can't eat but you can; corpses."
"Corpses!? You cannot be serious in your suggestion. I know my people's reputation, yet eating such filth is only done in desperation."
"Is this not a ship of the desperate? Everyone needs to eat to survive. The bodies will either go to you or the creatures of the sea. Though there is one body that you won't touch; the priest deserves a proper burial for what was done to him."
With those words the captain's cabin became silent for some time. Both parties stood thinking on the words of the other. While it might have felt like hours, it only took seconds for their minds to be made.
"Good cook, you defend a man of faith even after his death. Such acts of honor should be repaid with another. Me and my people will accept your deal."
"While many might think your people vermin, your words and manners would prove them wrong. I'll put my trust in those words and accept your deal."
"Then let us secure this pact with the first exchange of blood between our people."
King Rous bit into the sole of his paw and stretched it out in front of him. Peter took a knife from his belt, cut his palm, and grasped the outstretched appendage. With the mixing of their blood both of their people's fates had become entwined.
"Now there is only the small issue of taking over the ship." Mutiny! That word strikes fear into the hearts of sailors across the centuries. It was a close quarters brawl where everything was a weapon and attacks came from all sides. The naval officers of a ship needed to be on constant guard and keep an iron grip on his crew. Yet in desperate situations, it could spread like fire.
It started with whispers between the passengers after being served their meager allowance of food. Peter, the cook, looked healthier than he had in days with a straight back and he was growing black hairs among the white. At first they had thought he was sneaking food, but the captain had the only key to the hold and he kept himself in view at all times. It was as if he was flaunting his new found vitality.
Over the next three days, those that talked to him in private had a returned spring in their step. Rumors of magic, sorcery, and deals with sea demons were consumed like water. The captain and those loyal to him started eating separately from everyone else and carrying weapons at all times. A rift had formed and conflict was inescapable.
It was on the seventh day after the cook's miraculous recovery when things came to a head. No-one would recall how it had actually started. Maybe it was an argument over a game, a sudden rousing of anger from drinking, or even an accidental bumping of shoulders. What mattered was that there were now fifteen more dead and everyone that still had the strength was standing on the main deck.
Standing at the stern there was the captain with a bit over two dozen of his officers. They had out cutlasses, hatchets, and pistols, even though none had been shot. Standing near the bow was the cook and over fifty bewhiskered people. Only one or two had proper weapons with the rest holding mallets, marlin spikes, crows, and whatever else could be used as a weapon. Such implements were to be feared as an officer had already been brained by a grapnel hook.
Tying a white cloth to the oar Peter and waved it in the air. "Captain Dufort, I wish to parley. I know you to be a good man who wishes for no more bloodshed. Surrender and you'll be treated kindly."
Dufort replied as loudly as he could. "I think that you've mistaken who will surrender to who. You might have the numbers, but we have the weapons and training. Half of you would be dead before crossing the deck."
"What good is your training without the strength to use it? How many of your men are too sick with scurvy to even get out of bed?" Walking forward he stopped right in front of the captain's pistol. "What good are your guns if they can't shoot?"
The captain pulled the trigger of his snaplock. The sparking flint ignited the gunpowder in the flash pan in a puff of smoke! Then there was nothing.
He looked down at his firearm in shock. "What have you done?"
"It is not what I have done, but my allies. You're more outnumbered than you think."
With those words rats began pouring from the gundeck in a great wave of fur. Some came from between barrels, from ship rigging, even from the clothes of some. In only a moment they were standing surrounded by a carpet of rodents. Out of them came one that the captain recognized.
"We have met before, captain, but we shall introduce ourselves again. We are King Rous the Second, Ruler of the Red Rats, and ally to Peter Marin. While you have rejected us and insulted us, our honor towards you remains. Drop your arms and there will be clemency."
At that moment the captain could have stabbed the king. He could have gone down in a blaze of glory killing as many as he could. He could have done many foolish things. Instead, he dropped his pistol and undid his scabbard to fall on the deck. All of the men around him proceeded to do the same. That is how the Sea Rats were formed and took their first ship.
A wind swept across everyone on deck like a sigh of relief.
First, I would like to thank the wonderful QM for looking at this before I posted it. I was a bit nervous, but they gave me confidence.
I was inspired to write this by my love of pirates and a dungeon crawler that I sometimes still play. If I can find a good picture, I'll show what I think what some of the ratlings would look like. If you have some imagination, think of them as various mix between rat and man ranging from very hairy guy to rat with legs and arms.
There is also a bunch of different facts and information about seafaring and other junk thrown in for people to notice. Did you know that scurvy is caused by a lack of Vitamin C? Most animals, like rats, actually produce their own so they don't have to worry about it. I spent far too long looking into the history of sailing for my own good.
I almost forgot! Unless the QM has changed their mind, they told me some things. While my story is not canon, it would be something drunk sailors would tell. Furthermore, there is a price to be payed to give beasts the minds of men, and men the might of beasts.
Also, my next omake should be much shorter than this, but will be delayed by work. I intend for it to take place near Transylvania and have an important angel make an appearance.
How so? If nothing else I don't want to make the same mistake with a different omake, especially since I'm hoping to rework Raguel's Feather into a far more malevolent (and also less Abrahamic) artifact.
I have a very simple proposal : perhaps Solomon Kane, a man devoured by rage, madness and a need for justice far above all others...simply did not notice his death ?
And now, all around Europe and Africa, they speak of a man dressed in black, eyes burning, sword in hand, that emerge from the darkness to hunt without rest slaver, pillagers and others evildoers, his skin as dry and used as parchment left in the sands of the Sahara...
I like the idea, but I'm not sure how sustainable such a state would be on its own. Kane's no fool, all it would take is one bullet wound he doesn't feel or a single conversation with N'Longa for him to put two and two together.
At that point, he'd almost certainly get his affairs in order (kill his current target, ensure the Staff of Solomon doesn't fall into the wrong hands, etc.), then make a beeline for St. Peter. Kane's too pious to keep the first Bishop of Rome waiting longer than he has to.
There would need to be some force blinding Kane from the truth. Perhaps the warlock who finally did him in managed to curse Kane before succumbing to his wounds?
No kidding about the length. This sucker is twice as long as the next longest omake in this quest! It's quite well written, and I might be able to reference it in an omake at some point, although the lack of canonicity makes that a bit more difficult. Still, I think I might be able to include a reference to the tale in-universe.
No kidding about the length. This sucker is twice as long as the next longest omake in this quest! It's quite well written, and I might be able to reference it in an omake at some point, although the lack of canonicity makes that a bit more difficult. Still, I think I might be able to include a reference to the tale in-universe.
By my calculations, the apocrypha is now one tenth my writing by volume. There are some ideas that I have, but some need to wait till after the next update. I will continue writing till the French government releases its captive (the QM) from their imprisonment (some jury duty)!
I'd think it would be fun for you to make a reference to my story. It isn't like people aren't prone to embellishing details and just making stuff up when telling a story.
Adhoc vote count started by OldShadow on Mar 27, 2024 at 6:58 PM, finished with 149 posts and 49 votes.
[X] Ghostnoses [Dog] : These dogs don't bark, they howl, and they howl a lot in Union. It seems they can…smell the ghosts present in the town, and have learned to fear the specters of Winter. The dogs can smell the supernatural.
[X] Halfdead [Dog] : The dogs are small, compared to the shepherd dogs of Europe, with long noses. However, they are strangely strong and enduring, able to run for an entire day and throw on his back a full grown man. The dogs are stronger and more endurant than dogs of their size should be able to be.
[X] Spiritteeths [Dog] : The teeths of those dogs are sharp, and cut deep. More importantly, when one of them tried to bite the ankle of one of the Blade, I felt pain from the bond I share with them… The dogs have sharp teeths that can harm supernatural beings.
Once, there were many peoples in one Federation. Dreaming priests, hunters turned into guardians, talented farmers, brave navigators on the rivers and lakes. One kind of people were those who lived in lands without rivers or fertile fields, the ones that followed herds through forests and hills.
With the help of warriors that never sleep and ever-dreaming priests, they made pacts sealed in blood with the herds and predators of the wilds, so that they may call old animals to be butchered, deers to carry their burdens and wolves to help them in their hunts.
So were once the Pack-Leaders, the Shepherds, caring for their untamed and untamable herds.
Until Winter grew harsher, and the Federation divided. No more could the Shepherds and their Herds find refuge against the dangers in the darkness amongst their allies, and after each Winter there were less Shepherds, less Herds and more desperate refugees fleeing destroyed homes to care for.
So the Shepherds used old, almost forgotten rites, to consume animals whole, body and soul, to deepen the bond once made between men and beasts until they fused into one.The Shepherds changed, some becoming able to feed on leaves, other growing thick furs against the cold, others turning their nails into claws against the monsters in the darkness.
With these changes, with the power added to their souls, the Shepherds survived even as the Federation fell.
But with every Winter, every consumption, each deepening of their bonds, the Shepherds grew more beast and less man, until many could not speak or remember what they once were.
Now the Shepherds are but a few, the last who speak and think, while around them live the Herds, made of those that were once men or beasts.
Some were killed, but could not die, the power inside them forcing their heart to beat and their blood to flow despite a crushed skull or collapsed lungs.
And still, each day they weaken, each Winter they are harassed, and the Shepherds fear that one day, none amongst them will remember speech.
This is the tale our expedition learned from the Shepherds, when they found them at a summer gathering, trying to recuperate from new loss caused by the monsters of the wilds.
They told us the Shepherds are ready to trade with us, that they are desperate for help against the coming Winter.
And I can see in their eyes the mix of pity and revulsion they feel for those they have met.
Do you trade with the Shepherds ?
Meat : The Shepherds can share part of their hunts with us (Max 1) : 2 points for 1 season of Food, first half this turn, second half next turn.
Pelts : The Shepherds gather the pelts of their kills and their fallen Herds, even if they have little use for them. (Max 5) : 1 points for 2 Unit of Normal Leather
Beaver Pelts : The Shepherd's wolves sometimes hunt near the rivers, and a few beavers pelts have been gathered (Max 2) : 1 point for 1 Unit of Beaver Fur
Deers Herd : The Shepherds are willing to instruct some of their herds of deers to live in the wilds near Union, to not fear our people and to spend each Winter between the town's walls. (Max 1) : 4 points, will provide a passive source of Food and Leather.
The Hairy : Those who abandoned their humanity in order to escape hunger and cold. There are now strange, apelike beings, able to survive on lichen, dry leaves and pine needles, and growing thick mantle of hair. Each spring, they shed their pelt like a serpent shed its skin . The Shepherds use them as beasts of burden and source of…furs, in a strange parody of the sheeps of Europe. They do not eat them unless Winter is harsh, they tell us. The Shepherds are ready to give us a few of them (Max 1) : 5 points, will provide pelts and act as beasts of burden. There will be moral consequences, they are clearly human-like.
Wolves : Great wolves, the size of at least two normal ones, that can sometimes stand on two feets and sometimes have eyes like men. They are fierce warriors, guardians and hunters, but their hunger is as great as their size. The Shepherds are ready to bound Union to a pack of those wolves. (Max 1) : 6 points, will provide bonus to hunting and raidings. Will act as defense during Winter. Consume a large amount of food (increase yearly food consumption by about half a season worth of food).
Asylum : All members of Union will be allowed shelter and food amongst the Sheperds for a week, if the Shepherds can support them. (Max 1) : 2 points
Support : The Shepherd will give logistical support, scouting and act as auxiliaries for one raid or expedition launched by Union. They will give only limited help during battles, due to their lack of manpower. (Max 3) : 1 point
Secrets of the blood-links : The Shepherd will send one of their own to teach Union what they remember on how to perform the rituals that create a bond between beast and men. This allows to create understanding with the untamable, peace with beasts and enhance livestocks. Such bonds tend to give a little of men to beasts, and a little of the beasts to men. (Max 1) : 4 points, will help controlling beasts acquired from the Shepherds and allow to redevelop the art of Blood-bound from what the Shepherds remember.
Secret of consumption : The Shepherds will send one of their own to teach Union how to consume another being whole, body and soul. This secret strengthens the consumer in health and strength, both physical and spiritual, and allows them to take features of the consumed. If you take and make something else, you lose part of your humanity. (Max 1) : 8 points, give the greatest intact rite of the Shepherds, as powerful at it is dangerous.
Hairs : The Sheperds can give us the finest hairs from their herds, enough to craft gunpowder sieves. (Max 1) : 2 points, enough coarce hairs to make gunpowder sieves.
Food : The Shepherds lack reserve for the Winter. They are willing to trade for easely stocked and preserved food, especially dried meat and fish. (Max 3) : 2 points for one season worth of Food.
Razorweed Leaves : The Shepherds fear too much Razorweed to gather its leaves, but know they have the property to preserve their mind. They will trade much for them. (Max 2) : 2 points. Razorweed Leaves bonus will be reduced if two trades are made.
Steel tools : The Shepherds are fascinated by our steel tools, that would help them better defend themselves and construct better protected camps. (Max 2) : 3 points. You will need to craft 1 unit of tools (1 Mediocre Steel, 1 Craft) per trade.
Wintering Rights : Give the Sheperds the right to spend the following Winter in the (comparatively safer) Wilds near Union. (Max 1) : 3 points, cost nothing beyond a risk of attracting further attention from Winter.
Hunting Rights : Give the Shepherds the right to hunt and gather in the Wilds near Union for one year. (Max 3) : 3 points. Starting next year, hunting for game will be disabled for one year for each trade made.
Asylum : All Shepherd will be allowed shelter and food amongst the people of Union for a week, if Union can support them. (Max 1) : 2 points
Winter protection : Some of the more valuable thinking Shepherds will be protected from Winter by Union. (Max 2) : 4 points, 1 consecutive Winter per trade, starting with this year's Winter. Will definitely increase Winter's attention.
Songs of Death : One deathsinger will share the secrets of Death Singing with the Shepherds, in the hope it may strengthen their souls. (Max 1) : 7 points, one Death Singing dice will need to be assigned next season on fulfilling this agreement.
[] No : They are no longer part of humanity [+2 Morale]
[] Yes
-[] Goods bought
-[] Goods sold
[] Write-In (propose something to the Shepherds. There is not enough trust yet between both sides for anything like an alliance treaty.
-[X] Follow the path of the First Walker [150/150] (1 Native Die, 1 Warrior's Son Die) (99;23+8;16+8)
The path of the First Walker is a hard one to follow, for he left little traces in his wake.
Despite his skills, even the Warrior's Son was forced to seek the traces of great battles on the path, rocks reduced to powder, trees cut in through, gaping craters left in the earth.
Always, there are no traces left of what has been slain in the battles, no bones, no flesh, only gouges in stones and soil from a blade sharper than all ever seen by Union.
Through desperate research and leapfrog between battle sites, the Winter Walkers slowly mapped their way into the dept of the Wilds, the places where the sun cannot be seen under a sky filled with leaves and branches.
Until, finally, after walking another path where one step in one direction can throw you miles into another way, after losing his path and becoming alone, far from his kin, the Warrior's Son found a wound into the earth, a bite taken by a mountain-sized beast into the world, the color of fresh blood.
Next to the wound, surrounded by rotting corpses of twisted beasts, a skeleton, jawless, covered entirely with fine scrimshaw.
The skeleton was moving his fingers with great dexterity and strength, carving without tools into a femur the size of two men, and around the wound, the Son could see others engraved bones, planted deep into the soil.
On the lap of the skeleton was a spear carved whole from purest ivory, edges sharper than glass, unblemished by any dirt or blood. A spear all Winter Walker heard of, the Spear of the First Walker.
So did the Son meet the founder of his people, fleshless and diminished.
The First did not speak, or stop his work, but he threw understanding like a spear at the Warrior's Son, forcing him to learn of a mind older than Christ through feverish visions.
Of a warrior, dauntless and strong, finally dying, old, happy and surrounded by his loving kin, knowing he had slain the horrors menacing his people and taught worthy successors. Finally, he could rest.
Of waking, weak and feverish, in the cold of the earth, feeling his kin and his foes hideously mixed. Of battling evil beings seeking to bind him with fighting instincts carved into his very soul, and ripping flesh and soul apart with his fists.
Of slowly waking up, the confusion of the grave falling apart, and seeing himself on clean water, fleshless, his essence struggling to keep him moving.
Of exploring around, desperately seeking his kin, only to face monsters and the constant pursuit of his foes, forced to alway move, taking the strength of slain beasts to keep himself moving.
Of meeting a few, desperate people, and helping them when he could, even if he knew they would probably not survive. Of a growing cold certainty, that he would never live again, that his kin was lost, that his foes were stronger than ever, even without the constant cold of his times.
Of a stone hard will, pushing him to face his foes no matter what, and slay them for good, no matter the cost to himself.
Of finding a wound in the world, to a realm of one of his foes, and preparing it for a final strike, to close an ever-hungry maw with one perfect strike.
Of his kin finding again, no matter how changed, how far away, and knowing he could not help them as much a he would like to, that he needed to move, before his foes found his trace again.
Of a promise, that he would strike at the foes as much as he could, and attract them to it, to at least somewhat spare his kin.
Of a demand, to keep the wound sealed, and, when the time come, help him strike down what awaited in the red realm.
When the Son woke up, he shared what he learned of the First Walker. And from this, a new will spread, into him and into the Winter Walkers.
You have found the First Walker, however, he cannot directly help the Union, needing to feed a supernatural hunger and keep moving to not be cornered by the forces of Winter.
However, his constant campaign of guerrillas both reduce the intensity of Winter Turns and weaken Winter-aligned factions.
You have found a Wound in the World, a pathway to the realm of Hunger. Keeping it sealed and away from the Tribute-Takers is a good idea. Endgame objective : To Devour Hunger unlocked
+5 Morale, the Winter Walkers are jubilant
Choose one gift from the First Walker
[][Walker] A Memory
A duel between the First and a beast taller than the mountains, ended in three moves. From this memory, the Son's was changed, growing in strength and combat skill.
+1 Warrior's Son die. When engaged in combat, if the Warrior's Son roll over 90, he will perform a critical strike, ignoring armor both mundane and supernatural.
[][Walker] A Token
A simple token of carved bone, engraved by the First's very fingers. Awakes shall recognise this.
Obtain the First's Walker personal token. Awakes death and alive shall recognise this token.
[][Walker] A path
One Winter, the First Walker meets a thing that was once a man, pale of skin and covered with blood, dirt and hides, gorging on the flesh of a monster like a wolf. He shared with us the last place where he met this thing.
Obtain path to the Once-man Hunter.
Knowledge
[X] The Mindless Ones 77+Blades [Death] (1 Mourner Die, 2 Silent Blade Dice) (71+6;2 Blades rolls over 50)
At the end of Summer, my Mourners came to me with a discovery.
They had studied the Blade for a season, trying to reach them with their songs.
They had found that, compared to almost everything in the land of Union, the Blades do not have souls, or even bits of spiritual energy, like most mindless dead.
They are vessels shaped by souls they once had, like a dry riverbed that was once shaped by water.
If you pour water again into the riverbed, it can be something like a river again. The Blades are soulless skeletons, and will stay so, but they will move as if inhabited if a soul is poured into them.
This, they suppose, is how Winter could control them.
And how the Blades still move, for they are filled with soul. With my soul
This is how the Blades, and the mindless, powerless dead in general, can act as a puppet for something with a strong soul, and if the puppet acts too much or too far, the puppeteer may be weakened, the wheel of my soul slowly emptying…
We have learned much, and I think I could use this knowledge to my advantage, to "pour" myself into other corpses, to strengthen the Blades, to learn from their nature.
And now my Mourners can help me, by taking some of the burden of animating the Blades, even if they tell me they fear how tiring it would be.
Which is the question : How can I alone animate all the Blades when it would utterly exhaust a Mourner to animate one Blade for a season ?
Mindless Dead, like the Blades, need to be animated by a soul, acting like water poured in a canal, and like water move a waterwheel, giving motions to a corpse.
Unlock Reanimation projects, to turn corpses in Mindless Dead bound to Union. Unlock projects to upgrade current and future Mindless Dead bound to Union.
Union has begun to learn how to take over mindless death in the thrall of other, mostly by overpowering and replacing hostile power by Union's aligned souls.
Sara's state of Spiritual "tiredness" will now be indicated at the beginning of each turn, and projects that are particularly taxing to her if the Blades are attributed to them indicated.
The Mourners now take on some of the brunt of empowering the Blades, lowering how taxing assigning Blades dice his. Assigning a Mourner die and Blade dice to a project eliminate any potential tiredness to Sara, but could potentially give temporary malus to the Mourner die.
Sara's soul is ridiculously powerful, far more than anyone in Union
[X] The Fruits of Flesh [50/40] 1 Failure Die (47+3)
For a season, Failure did what a sorcerer does, at night, when the children he was teaching had gone back to bed.
Old men sleep little, after all, and old failure even less.
With fire, smoke and dream, he sought visions, and with the FleshFruits, tools and a few mouses for sacrifices, he experimented.
The results were simple : the FleshFruits are made of living flesh and blood, sustained by the EyesVines, more precisely something very near human flesh.
However, they rot slower than a corpse, and can be preserved for half-a-month before beginning to rot.
So the fruits can be used for all the things living flesh can be used for, for eating, for craft, as fertilizer, for sacrifices and for rites.
But they should not be eaten too much by men. It is not cannibalism, but something near enough to be a source of concern.
The FleshFruits can be used as a source of technically-not-human flesh and blood, especially for occult purposes.
Eating is possible during an emergency, but a little too near cannibalism for everyday meals.
[X] Forceful Reciprocity
-[X] Free the Enslaved [21/100] 1 Alexandre Die (21)
From the Journal of Alexandre de Montfaucon
Translated from Early Modern French
As asked by Goodwoman Smith, I have spent much of my time this Summer studying the tools gathered by Union-folk from the devil-worshiping pagans known as "Tribute-Takers".
In those tools, crude things of stone and bones caked with dried blood, they have trapped faint spiritual presences, that I struggle to perceive even with the cursed eyes I bear.
More disturbingly, when I asked about the origins of those presences, Goodwoman Smith told me that the dark powers in this land can reduce the soul of man and the spirits of beasts to the same state of corruption and servitude, much like in the stories of the Impaled from Transylvania…
For now, my work has mostly been scholarly, comparing the tools material and spiritual design to what I know of the tools used by devil-worshippers back home. In many ways, those tools remind me again of Transylvania, of the stories told by Father Gerome in the monastery of the contracts the poor souls of the Principality were forced to sign, or be devoured by the Dark Prince's servants, bidding them to his services in life and death.
I know Father Gerome was able to free a few of those people from such a wicked fate, and perhaps in his stories, I will find a way to undo the work of others servants of evil.
[X] Heal the Wounded
-[X] We shall give them the ashes…[Free]
--[X] From the scarecrows filled with our nightmares we burn each autumn
To the wounded trees, we gave the ashes of the scarecrows, the ashes of the Wicker Men, the evils we burnt.
I could see how the Wounded devoured the power inside those ashes, and how well it made them recuperate, the rich power purified by their vessel before flowing to the Voices living inside the truck.
As long as we keep burning our evils, and give the ashes to the Wounded, they will recuperate.
With the ashes of the scarecrows and Wicker Men, the Wounded will recuperate from their wounds in about 1d6 turns.
Council
[X] Expand the Council [106>DC 30/70/100] (2 Council Dice, 1 Prince Die) (53+6;19+6;16+6)
Great Success
Extract from Early Days of Union, by Dr.Achak Faber
The early Council of Union, more than anything, was an ad-hoc group of specialists and elders chosen organically for their wisdom and skills, having in many ways more in common with the high command of a large militia or the officer council on a privateer ship than any elected chamber in history.
With the stabilization of Union as a cohesive entity able of resisting Winter, and with the ongoing incorporation of new groups beyond the two Founding Kin however, a growing need emerged to turn this improvised structure into a real, rule-bound body, able to act according to the will of the people of Union in Assembly, advice the Captain during the Winter.
From the few sources available on those early times (mostly the writing of Alexandre de Montfaucon, Mourners records and the results of séances), this need was resolved by the actions of the Council itself, in a state of overwork with the growth of Union, and Andreyas Sarsas, colloquially known as the Prince, seeking to ensure the continued integration of the Unchained in Union's decision making process.
After a summer of almost constant debates, rules were determined to select new Concilmenbers, and approved by both the Assembly and the Captain…
Choose as many as you want. Write-In encouraged.
[] [Council] Sponsor : people cannot propose by themselves their candidature to the Council, they must be sponsored by a Concilmenber, 30 members of the Assembly or the Captain.
[] [Council] People's Will : new members of the Council must be approved by at least a third of the Assembly.
[] [Council] Council's Will : new members of the Council must be approved by at least a third of the Council.
[] [Council] Age : new members of the Council must be older than 35.
[] [Council] Accomplishment : new members of the Council must have notably contributed during Winter or an Expedition, mastered a craft, saved the life of at least two others persons or equivalent accomplishment.
[] [Council] Oath : new members of the Council must swear an oath before God, Saints and the Ancestors to serve impartially and advise wisely, without care for their own advancement. Those that betray this oath will be punished by : -[] Expulsion from the Council, without possibility of joining it again.
-[] Expulsion from the Council and lose of the rights to be member of the Assembly
-[] Death [Add method of execution]
-[] Banishment
[] [Council] Veto : The Captain shall have a veto on any new members of the Council, that may be overruled by a two-third vote of the Assembly or Council.
[] [Council] Expulsion : If two-third of the Assembly or Council, or half of both, vote for it, a Councilmenber may be expelled from its seat.
[] Write-In
With those new rules, and the enthusiast participation of the people of Union, eager to add more voices to the debates (in part due to frustration from hearing the same debates between Councilmenbers repeat endlessly week after week), the Council rapidly grew in size, from 12 to 15 to around 30, a notably big numbers for the less than a thousand strong Union.
+1 Council Die
Choose one particularity of the expanded Council
[] [Members] The Voice of the People : The new members of the Council were overwhelmingly chosen from popular speakers in the Assembly, and were still deeply intertwined with it. Those new members increased the connection between Council and Assembly, increasing the democratic nature of Union. As foreign visitors put it, "Union is ruled more like a pirate ship or a monastery than a city". +1 Council die, unlock easier option to increase numbers of Council Die as Union's population grows. Lose control of Half (rounded down) Council Dice each turn, who will be assigned according to the People's Will (aka the current situation, Me, and my hidden rolls).
[] [Members] Dreams from a Fallen Federation : In the sources, after the expansion of the Council, it is noted that the debates of the Council grew rapidly in rhetorical qualities and wisdom, but became filled with strange, new worlds and temporary change of personality in the speakers. It is now the consensus that those changes came from the intervention of ghosts from the old Dreamer Federation, attracted and given strength by the return of debating councilors on their old lands… +5 to Council die, ???
[] [Members] Voices Heard : After the expansion of the Council, a noted increase in the vehemence of the debates is noted in the sources. It is the consensus that this increase came from the voices of the less integrated members of Union being carried by new Concilmenbers, and the first step in the further integration of Union's people, after the preliminary effect of the birth of the Church of Saints and Heroes. Reduce risk of social unrest, problems will be heard faster. Reveal Integration Objectives, allowing to fuse the various types of Workforce Die into one and unlocking new actions.
Death Singing
[X] Teach Death Singing [Death Singing]
-[X] The Warrior's Son [Teach] [64>50 DC] (1 Personal Die)
After the Son came back from his quest for the First Walker, everyday at sunset, I brought him below, to the place where we kept our Freed's guests.
There, in the darkness, with ghostly eyes watching us, I sang, reaching for him with the breathless song, drumming my soul until his soul vibrated.
It was less easy than I hoped, for I was forced to lessen my songs, out of fear of harming his father's ghost, watching over him, anchored deeply to his son, but in time the Son's soul became less bound to his body, and he could begin to learn how to move it and make it vibrate.
Then came the lessons, to turn a vibrating soul into something that can make music, that can share feelings and power as a breathless song.
Now, I can hear in the night the Son's song, the beat of a wardrum, so different from the deep churchbelt of my own song or the lesser chimes of my Mourners.
And I can see, bound to him, his father, sharing more easily advice and warnings with his son, and how the ghostly guardian is slowly pouring itself into his progeny.
For the father cares more than anything else about his legacy. Too much to truly love a son that is not the perfect vessel for it. Too much to care about sacrificing himself to transmit it.
So be it.
The Warrior's Son Dices are now [Death Singing]
+1 Warrior's Son die, from the ghost of his father slowly pouring himself into his son. This will in time (at least 10 years) degrade the Father, but for now is a net positif.
[X] Shepherds for Corpses [Death Singing]
-[X] Bone Hives [Shepherds][117/100] (1 Mourner Die) (27;84+6)
Finally, the hives, those strange minds made of many lost souls and fused bits of spiritual power spread into broken bits of bones, learned to trust us, trust our songs of hope and better days.
So, guided by my singing Mourners, they moved, in a great procession of crawling and floating bone shards, like swarms of ants and bees following a piper.
Now, they have dug hives in the dirt between Union and the Deadtown, and the people speak of strange insects of bones, cleaning up rotten things or floating in the fields, gathering nectar.
For all their strangeness, the Hives act like insects, and so most of Union have persuaded themselves that they are but strange bees and ants of the New World.
However, I know they are not so, I know that in the Winter, they will hide away in tunnels dug under Union and the Deadtown, and I know that I can ask with songs the great mind of the Hives to help Union, just as the Freed are already using them to move wood and plant into their town.
But the more…fragile part of Union, especially the Newcomer, do not need to know it…yet.
Bone Hives spread around Union and the Deadtown, helping the ecosystem with undead pseudo-insect bonds into hiveminds.
Can more easily be explained as weird insects, will provide limited help (1 Dead die, working as a generic Workforce Die) and automatically renew their numbers from lost bones.
Sara Smith, The Mourner
[X] The Anchorless [67/50] (1 Personal die) (61+6)
-[X] Me, I shall support them with the power of my soul, and they shall help me in return (1 Sara die)
Souls are strange things, they are like…spiritual water, ever-changing, able to fit many vessels, and almost impossible to truly destroy.
However, they can be…hollowed out, losing parts of themselves, until, in a grim example, my soul could degrade from "Sara Smith, Captain of Union, Deathsinger, woman" to "a soul", without face, name, form or memories.
This is what the anchorless are, souls that have lost almost everything, desperately holding onto bits of memories,a rough form, the remnants of an eye or nose. They latch onto me like barnacle to a ship's hull, whispering all the advice they could, out of fear of losing the one shelter they had found, in a land where many predators lurked, ready to use or devour lost souls.
As Union (and, I must admit, myself) grew more connected to the dead, they had grown in strength, filled with vitality from the dead wind flowing from Deadtown, acting no longer like adrift survivors during a storm, desperately trying to keep their head above the water, but like survivors after the storm, soaked and lost on an isolated beach.
They are safe, but still lost, without true identities or anchors to this world.
I could be this anchor, and help another lost herd on this cruel land.
Long I spoke with the Anchorless, in words and songs, to find how I could help them further, use myself to bind them to this world.
From them, I have learned three ways.
I could bound them like I bound the Blades, fill them with the water of my soul, so that they may act on the physical world, but this could be tiring for me.
I could let them rest into my dreams, the places where my feelings are undulled. This would empower them at little price to myself, and let me act even when asleep through them, but the Anchorless have no idea how being filled with emotions would affect them.
Or I could…let them join my mind, stay in my head, so that I may hear their advice and think of far more than one thing at a time. However, I would have to live with many voices inside my brain…
Choose one method
[] [Anchorless] : Bound
The Anchorless will be bound and filled with Sara's Soul. +1 Sara Die, Sara becomes far better protected and dangerous in a fight, thanks to being followed by empowered ghosts. Will increase Sara's tiredness due to overuse of her soul.
[] [Anchorless] : Dreams
The Anchorless will be bound to Sara's dreams and feed on her feelings. +1 Sara Die due to being able to act even when asleep through the Anchorless. The Anchorless will evolve and gain in power, if in an uncontrolled way.
[] [Anchorless] : Mind
The Anchorless will join Sara's Mind. +1 Sara Die and 1 Re-Roll for Sara's Dies per turn, due to increased mental faculties. Sara will have additional voices in her head, which could cause mental complications.
[] [Anchorless] : Nothing
Sara does not want any of the proposed methods. Anchorless action stay available.
---------------------------------------------------------------
12 hours Moratorium
Scheduled vote count started by OldShadow on Mar 27, 2024 at 7:05 PM, finished with 72 posts and 20 votes.
[X] Plan An Old Friend - Pelts and Deer
-[X] Yes
--[X] Beaver Pelts x2 (2 Points)
--[X] Deers Herd (4 Points)
--[X] Asylum (2 Points)
--[X] Support x2 (2 Points)
--[X] Secrets of the Blood-Links (4 Points)
--[X] Hairs (2 Points)
--[X] Food x1 (2 Points)
--[X] Razorweed Leaves x1 (2 Points)
--[X] Steel Tools x1 (3 Points)
--[X] Songs of Death (7 Points)
-[X] [Walker] A Path
-[X] [Council] People's Will:New members of the Council must be approved by at least a third of the Assembly.
-[X] [Council] Oath: New members of the Council must swear an oath before God, Saints and the Ancestors to serve impartially and advise wisely, without care for their own advancement. Those that betray this oath will be punished by:
--[X] Expulsion from the Council, without possibility of joining it again.
-[X] [Council] Experience:New members of the Council must have experienced at least two Winters in the New World.
--[X] With the Escapees being given a one-time grandfathering clause in so they are not excluded.
-[X] [Council] Veto:The Captain shall have a veto on any new members of the Council, that may be overruled by a two-third vote of the Assembly or Council. -[X] [Council] Expulsion: If two-third of the Assembly or Council, or half of both, vote for it, a Councilmenber may be expelled from its seat.
-[X] [Members] Voices Heard
-[X] [Anchorless] Bound
[X] Plan An Old Friend - Wolves
-[X] Yes
--[X] Wolves (6 Points)
--[X] Asylum (2 Points)
--[X] Support x2 (2 Points)
--[X] Secrets of the Blood-Links (4 Points)
--[X] Hairs (2 Points)
--[X] Food x1 (2 Points)
--[X] Razorweed Leaves x1 (2 Points)
--[X] Steel Tools x1 (3 Points)
-[X] [Walker] A Path
-[X] [Council] People's Will:New members of the Council must be approved by at least a third of the Assembly.
-[X] [Council] Oath: New members of the Council must swear an oath before God, Saints and the Ancestors to serve impartially and advise wisely, without care for their own advancement. Those that betray this oath will be punished by:
--[X] Expulsion from the Council, without possibility of joining it again.
-[X] [Council] Experience:New members of the Council must have experienced at least two Winters in the New World.
--[X] With the Escapees being given a one-time grandfathering clause in so they are not excluded.
-[X] [Council] Veto:The Captain shall have a veto on any new members of the Council, that may be overruled by a two-third vote of the Assembly or Council. -[X] [Council] Expulsion: If two-third of the Assembly or Council, or half of both, vote for it, a Councilmenber may be expelled from its seat.
-[X] [Members] Voices Heard
-[X] [Anchorless] Bound
[X] Plan An Old Friend - Winter Rights
-[X] Yes
-[X] Goods bought
--[X] Pelts x4 (2 Points)
--[X] Beaver Pelts x2 (2 Points)
--[X] Deers Herd (4 Points)
--[X] Asylum (2 Points)
--[X] Support x3 (3 Points)
--[X] Secrets of the Blood-Links (4 Points)
--[X] Hairs (2 Points)
-[X] Goods sold
--[X] Food x1 (2 Points)
--[X] Razorweed Leaves x1 (2 Points)
--[X] Steel Tools x1 (3 Points)
--[X] Winter Rights (3 Points)
--[X] Songs of Death (7 Points)
-[X] [Walker] A Path
-[X] [Council] People's Will:New members of the Council must be approved by at least a third of the Assembly. -[X] [Council] Age: new members of the Council must be older than 35.
-[X] [Council] Oath: New members of the Council must swear an oath before God, Saints and the Ancestors to serve impartially and advise wisely, without care for their own advancement. Those that betray this oath will be punished by:
--[X] Expulsion from the Council, without possibility of joining it again.
-[X] [Council] Experience:New members of the Council must have experienced at least two Winters in the New World.
--[X] With the Escapees being given a one-time grandfathering clause in so they are not excluded.
-[X] [Council] Veto:The Captain shall have a veto on any new members of the Council, that may be overruled by a two-third vote of the Assembly or Council. -[X] [Council] Expulsion: If two-third of the Assembly or Council, or half of both, vote for it, a Councilmenber may be expelled from its seat.
-[X] [Members] Voices Heard
-[X] [Anchorless] Dreams
Mmm....Could I request a significant (at least a day) moratorium actually? There's a lot that needs to be discussed, what with so many different actions we have available.
Mmm....Could I request a significant (at least a day) moratorium actually? There's a lot that needs to be discussed, what with so many different actions we have available.
For the Shepherds I'm thinking mutual asylum and an a year of protection in exchange for their knowledge of blood binding.
For the council, I'm thinking People's Will and Accomplishment with Voice of the People because it feels thematic
I'm leaning towards dreams for the anchorless.
I'm not sure which boon to get from the first walker.
A duel between the First and a beast taller than the mountains, ended in three moves. From this memory, the Son's was changed, growing in strength and combat skill.
+1 Warrior's Son die. When engaged in combat, if the Warrior's Son roll over 90, he will perform a critical strike, ignoring armor both mundane and supernatural.
This on the other hand will make negotiations with native factions much easier, and solve by itself the problem we have with our neighbours of the West...
One Winter, the First Walker meets a thing that was once a man, pale of skin and covered with blood, dirt and hides, gorging on the flesh of a monster like a wolf. He shared with us the last place where he met this thing.
@Hunter531@Chimeraguard I think this will be a good place to use an OOC Question... Warrior's Son reward is awesome but knowing what are on the mystery boxes would help us a lot...
Besides that @OldShadow what would be the mechanical effect of getting beasts of burden?
Meat : The Shepherds can share part of their hunts with us (Max 1) : 2 points for 1 season of Food, first half this turn, second half next turn.
Pelts : The Shepherds gather the pelts of their kills and their fallen Herds, even if they have little use for them. (Max 5) : 1 points for 2 Unit of Normal Leather
Beaver Pelts : The Shepherd's wolves sometimes hunt near the rivers, and a few beavers pelts have been gathered (Max 2) : 1 point for 1 Unit of Beaver Fur
Deers Herd : The Shepherds are willing to instruct some of their herds of deers to live in the wilds near Union, to not fear our people and to spend each Winter between the town's walls. (Max 1) : 4 points, will provide a passive source of Food and Leather.
The Hairy : Those who abandoned their humanity in order to escape hunger and cold. There are now strange, apelike beings, able to survive on lichen, dry leaves and pine needles, and growing thick mantle of hair. Each spring, they shed their pelt like a serpent shed its skin . The Shepherds use them as beasts of burden and source of…furs, in a strange parody of the sheeps of Europe. They do not eat them unless Winter is harsh, they tell us. The Shepherds are ready to give us a few of them (Max 1) : 5 points, will provide pelts and act as beasts of burden. There will be moral consequences, they are clearly human-like.
Wolves : Great wolves, the size of at least two normal ones, that can sometimes stand on two feets and sometimes have eyes like men. They are fierce warriors, guardians and hunters, but their hunger is as great as their size. The Shepherds are ready to bound Union to a pack of those wolves. (Max 1) : 6 points, will provide bonus to hunting and raidings. Will act as defense during Winter. Consume a large amount of food (increase yearly food consumption by about half a season worth of food).
Asylum : All members of Union will be allowed shelter and food amongst the Sheperds for a week, if the Shepherds can support them. (Max 1) : 2 points
Support : The Shepherd will give logistical support, scouting and act as auxiliaries for one raid or expedition launched by Union. They will give only limited help during battles, due to their lack of manpower. (Max 3) : 1 point
Secrets of the blood-links : The Shepherd will send one of their own to teach Union what they remember on how to perform the rituals that create a bond between beast and men. This allows to create understanding with the untamable, peace with beasts and enhance livestocks. Such bonds tend to give a little of men to beasts, and a little of the beasts to men. (Max 1) : 4 points, will help controlling beasts acquired from the Shepherds and allow to redevelop the art of Blood-bound from what the Shepherds remember.
Secret of consumption : The Shepherds will send one of their own to teach Union how to consume another being whole, body and soul. This secret strengthens the consumer in health and strength, both physical and spiritual, and allows them to take features of the consumed. If you take and make something else, you lose part of your humanity. (Max 1) : 8 points, give the greatest intact rite of the Shepherds, as powerful at it is dangerous.
Looking at what the Shepherds can offer, I don't think we need food ourselves. If anything, we have enough of a surplus to make it a trade good of our own.
Beaver Pelts would be particularly useful given trade. Normal Leather we don't have as much use for given our recent hunting bounty and how we're almost done with Winter Clothes...but the Shepherds are offering it at a 2 for 1 point trade, and the last ship we got from Europe was willing to buy.
Deers Herd would be useful long-term as a passive source of leather and meat, but don't seem that urgent now. The Hairy...I want to avoid them for now given the moral consequences, especially when Union is still in a delicate stage of sorting out its own norms. Wolves seem pretty useful, especially with our plans of war and the increased attention we're already taking from Winter. But if we take it, I think we also need to take Blood-Links.
Asylum sounds like something that we ought to take from both sides of things, as part of deepening ties.
Support I think is pretty useful. Between the Silent Blades, the boosts to the Warrior's Son, and our regular forces, we don't need the Shepherds for combat. But logistical aid would be quite useful for the expeditions we have planned, and wouldn't risk them as much.
Blood-Links is, as I mentioned before, pretty important if we plan on taking the various Shepherd animals, and I think would also be quite helpful with our new dogs.
Consumption I don't think so. Maybe we'll find something important enough that we want to gamble on it, but right now it's expensive and dangerous enough that I don't think we want it.
Hmm... @OldShadow Is any of the fur/hair of the Shepherds' animals fine enough for gunpowder sieves? If so, could that be a trade option as well?
Food : The Shepherds lack reserve for the Winter. They are willing to trade for easely stocked and preserved food, especially dried meat and fish. (Max 3) : 2 points for one season worth of Food.
Razorweed Leaves : The Shepherds fear too much Razorweed to gather its leaves, but know they have the property to preserve their mind. They will trade much for them. (Max 2) : 2 points. Razorweed Leaves bonus will be reduced if two trades are made.
Steel tools : The Shepherds are fascinated by our steel tools, that would help them better defend themselves and construct better protected camps. (Max 2) : 3 points. You will need to craft 1 unit of tools (1 Mediocre Steel, 1 Craft) per trade.
Wintering Rights : Give the Sheperds the right to spend the following Winter in the (comparatively safer) Wilds near Union. (Max 1) : 3 points, cost nothing beyond a risk of attracting further attention from Winter.
Hunting Rights : Give the Shepherds the right to hunt and gather in the Wilds near Union for one year. (Max 3) : 3 points. Starting next year, hunting for game will be disabled for one year for each trade made.
Asylum : All Shepherd will be allowed shelter and food amongst the people of Union for a week, if Union can support them. (Max 1) : 2 points
Winter protection : Some of the more valuable thinking Shepherds will be protected from Winter by Union. (Max 2) : 4 points, 1 consecutive Winter per trade, starting with this year's Winter. Will definitely increase Winter's attention.
Songs of Death : One deathsinger will share the secrets of Death Singing with the Shepherds, in the hope it may strengthen their souls. (Max 1) : 7 points, one Death Singing dice will need to be assigned next season on fulfilling this agreement.
Our food situation is pretty good, so I think we can give a season's worth of food. I'd need to check exact numbers and compare them to last year before I decide whether or not we can give any more.
We can trade one unit of Razorweed Leaves. Two though, might be asking too much, since we're relying on stacking a lot of Knowledge bonuses to fight off Smallpox. But one we an give.
Steel Tools...They're offering a lot, and just a single unit of them would probably be a big help for them surviving the Winter. But at the same time, a lot of our Craft dice are spoken for.
Wintering Rights seems like a relatively easy ask. Yes, it risks more attention from Winter, but it's not a guarantee, and with the agreements with the Sun-Loving Woods, they should be relatively safe. Particularly with our planned campaign to murder the shit out of most of the Vermin.
Hunting Rights is a bit more problematic. We may not hunt that often, but we just got the dogs who will help with that once trained, and the Wolves will as well. If we do take this, we should take some regular pelts (or the deer herds) to make sure we have a reserve of them, since it'll set back how long until we can hunt for more.
Asylum as I mentioned should be done as a mutual Asylum thing, for ties-building if nothing else.
Winter Protection...it hurts, but I'm actually thinking that we shouldn't take this. Not for this Winter anyway. We're already gonna be taking heightened attention from the Wounded Sun-Loving. Adding onto that, this Winter we plan to take Smallpox for our Test of Knowledge to get rid of that sword of Damocles. If the Shepherds are also present, then they'll be exposed as well, and they're almost certainly just as vulnerable as our Winter-Walkers (and as we saw from the example of the Unchained, more people does increase the burden on Knowledge.) Better that they stay away for this Winter. Next one though, we might be able to add them in.
Songs of Death...I do think we can afford it actually. I have both a spare Mourner die, and a spare Sara die in my current plans. And narratively I think it's important for bolstering the Shepherds.
A duel between the First and a beast taller than the mountains, ended in three moves. From this memory, the Son's was changed, growing in strength and combat skill.
+1 Warrior's Son die. When engaged in combat, if the Warrior's Son roll over 90, he will perform a critical strike, ignoring armor both mundane and supernatural.
[][Walker] A Token
A simple token of carved bone, engraved by the First's very fingers. Awakes shall recognise this.
Obtain the First's Walker personal token. Awakes death and alive shall recognise this token.
[][Walker] A path
One Winter, the First Walker meets a thing that was once a man, pale of skin and covered with blood, dirt and hides, gorging on the flesh of a monster like a wolf. He shared with us the last place where he met this thing.
Ooh, I so want to give the Warrior's Son a third die...
On the other hand, the Token would be great for our general long-term goals of rallying the remnants of the old Federation. Also, that sounds like it'd really help with the whole Awake hideout Expedition.
A Path that sounds like it's a second chance to find our Hunter (Malcolm Stewart.) But that in and of itself is an action chain that I don't think we can afford to take so...
IMO, I'm leaning on the Token. With the Memory as a second. Part of a Planquest is recognizing what you can actually afford to work on. We don't have the dice to pursue every path.
Unlock Reanimation projects, to turn corpses in Mindless Dead bound to Union. Unlock projects to upgrade current and future Mindless Dead bound to Union.
[] [Council] Sponsor : people cannot propose by themselves their candidature to the Council, they must be sponsored by a Concilmenber, 30 members of the Assembly or the Captain.
[] [Council] People's Will : new members of the Council must be approved by at least a third of the Assembly.
[] [Council] Council's Will : new members of the Council must be approved by at least a third of the Council.
[] [Council] Age : new members of the Council must be older than 35.
[] [Council] Accomplishment : new members of the Council must have notably contributed during Winter or an Expedition, mastered a craft, saved the life of at least two others persons or equivalent accomplishment.
[] [Council] Oath : new members of the Council must swear an oath before God, Saints and the Ancestors to serve impartially and advise wisely, without care for their own advancement. Those that betray this oath will be punished by : -[] Expulsion from the Council, without possibility of joining it again.
-[] Expulsion from the Council and lose of the rights to be member of the Assembly
-[] Death [Add method of execution]
-[] Banishment
[] [Council] Veto : The Captain shall have a veto on any new members of the Council, that may be overruled by a two-third vote of the Assembly or Council.
[] [Council] Expulsion : If two-third of the Assembly or Council, or half of both, vote for it, a Councilmenber may be expelled from its seat.
Oh fuck, actually important formation of government work, my only weakness!
Um...no seriously, I'd like it if some other people took over here, but my thoughts are that People's Will seems important for ensuring that the Council, as a major position of leadership, is accountable to the general population.
Accomplishment I think is a "no." That's gonna cause a significant degree of elitism that we don't want. Oath...I do like the idea. I think death or banishment are too extreme though. Banishment in particular I'm against as a "no one deserves to suffer through Winter away from their people."
And a method of recall for Councilmembers if they prove egregious is also pretty useful.
[] [Menbers] The Voice of the People : The new members of the Council were overwhelmingly chosen from popular speakers in the Assembly, and were still deeply intertwined with it. Those new members increased the connection between Council and Assembly, increasing the democratic nature of Union. As foreign visitors put it, "Union is ruled more like a pirate ship or a monastery than a city". +1 Council die, unlock easier option to increase numbers of Council Die as Union's population grows. Lose control of Half (rounded down) Council Dice each turn, who will be assigned according to the People's Will (aka the current situation, Me, and my hidden rolls).
[] [Menbers] Dreams from a Fallen Federation : In the sources, after the expansion of the Council, it is noted that the debates of the Council grew rapidly in rhetorical qualities and wisdom, but became filled with strange, new worlds and temporary change of personality in the speakers. It is now the consensus that those changes came from the intervention of ghosts from the old Dreamer Federation, attracted and given strength by the return of debating councilors on their old lands… +5 to Council die, ???
[] [Members] Voices Heard : After the expansion of the Council, a noted increase in the vehemence of the debates is noted in the sources. It is the consensus that this increase came from the voices of the less integrated members of Union being carried by new Concilmenbers, and the first step in the further integration of Union's people, after the preliminary effect of the birth of the Church of Saints and Heroes. Reduce risk of social unrest, problems will be heard faster. Reveal Integration Objectives, allowing to fuse the various types of Workforce Die into one and unlocking new actions.
Man, these are all good (though I should note that there's a misspelling of "Members" as "Menbers" for the top two choices. We've been slamming hard on the Social Unrest button thus far, so I don't think we need Voices Heard? It would be nice though.
"The ghosts from the old Dreamer Federation are possessing the Councilors because they miss being able to debate like this" is kinda funny, but I'd want a Question about the longer term implications first.
Another Council die in exchange for half of the Council dice being chosen by the Will of the People...that would bring us up to 4 Council Dice, so 2 would be auto-assigned. Honestly, I kinda like this as well for both reinforcing of democratic principles, the fact that the Council is mandated to act in accordance with the People's Wishes meaning it should help address their issues faster, and it'll make deciding where the Council dice get assigned isn't too clunky.
[] [Anchorless] : Bound
The Anchorless will be bound and filled with Sara's Soul. +1 Sara Die, Sara becomes far better protected and dangerous in a fight, thanks to being followed by empowered ghosts. Will increase Sara's tiredness due to overuse of her soul.
[] [Anchorless] : Dreams
The Anchorless will be bound to Sara's dreams and feed on her feelings. +1 Sara Die due to being able to act even when asleep through the Anchorless. The Anchorless will evolve and gain in power, if in an uncontrolled way.
[] [Anchorless] : Mind
The Anchorless will join Sara's Mind. +1 Sara Die and 1 Re-Roll for Sara's Dies per turn, due to increased mental faculties. Sara will have additional voices in her head, which could cause mental complications.
[] [Anchorless] : Nothing
Sara does not want any of the proposed methods. Anchorless action stay available.
Hmm...Nothing is just a waste of a die. I don't like Mind, because voices arguing in Sara's head (more than there are already) does not sound appealing. So either Bound or Dreams.
Dreams might be better simply because the Anchorless are people in a way. Just ah...let's call them "corporeally impaired"? Bound would be useful when you consider that Sara's our Supernatural powerhouse, and as we become more active we want Supernatural folk who can engage in combat situations. But the increase in tiredness concerns me, especially since we don't know what's strenuous and what isn't.
I say that we should trade with them. We could really use those pelts for more clothing and to trade to the Europeans. We can probably wait on the Blood-link for now as long as we give them enough support to survive Winter. (Blood-bound rat pirates when? 🐀🏴☠️)
You have found a Wound in the World, a pathway to the realm of Hunger. Keeping it sealed and away from the Tribute-Takers is a good idea. Endgame objective : To Devour Hunger unlocked
This sounds like a portal into Hell. We definitely need to keep it sealed and secret. I'd rather not have a new crusade appear on our doorstep and somehow break it wide open. It is a good thing that it sounds like it can be closed permanently.
I don't know which reward to pick, since they are all good.
Her soul is just built different. The Mourners might have a fraction of the power after years of training.
Side note, controlling the Blades and making more of them wouldn't be considered Necromancy. Necromancy, in the early modern sense, refers to invoking spirits, including human, angel, demons or other, to give information and do tasks. Sara is using her own spirit so it will be fine!
The FleshFruits can be used as a source of technically-not-human flesh and blood, especially for occult purposes.
Eating is possible during an emergency, but a little too near cannibalism for everyday meals.
If you're going to eat human-like flesh, you need to cook it properly. Read the recipes I made for tips. It is nice to see that we now have an ethical way to do some blood sacrifice. Maybe this will help anyone with unfortunate cravings for human flesh.
We need some religious leaders to figure out if flesh-fruit can be eaten during lent, is halal, and is kosher. I know that Ethiopian Christianity has some restrictions, don't eat pork, so they need to be consulted too.
I know Father Gerome was able to free a few of those people from such a wicked fate, and perhaps in his stories, I will find a way to undo the work of others servants of evil.
Alexandre is like a college student on his first research project without any help. He is a bit confused on what to do, thinking back to his teacher's lessons, and just trying to find what works. He hasn't even been through a single Winter yet!
I'll have to think long and hard on this. At minimum, I'd like all council members to have experienced at least one Winter before being elected to a seat. People must know what is at stake when making important decisions.
+1 Warrior's Son die, from the ghost of his father slowly pouring himself into his son. This will in time (at least 10 years) degrade the Father, but for now is a net positif.
This is a bit weird, but it will have to do. I think ten years is enough time for Warrior's Son to secure a good legacy for the Father. He has already met the First Walker allowing his legend to grow.
I really think that we might want to wait on this even with the immediate benefits. Finding some alternate form of anchor that isn't a person would be best. I suggest dogs, statues, and graves.
Sponsor is out. It just creates bad incentives and clientelism.
People's Will is a must cause democracy.
Council's Will is meh, I'm leaning towards no for the same reason I tossed Sponsor.
Age I think is fine, it means that people with actual experience will join the council.
Accomplishment is mixed. On the one hand it would stop a smooth talker who doesn't really do anything (aka modern politician types) from entering. On the other, it would foment a gloryseeking mindset from those who look to climb the power ladder.
Oath is a must with either of the two first options as a punishment.
Veto and expulsion are both nice.
Edit: For a write-in we should add that any prospective members have to have spent at least two winters in Union.
