The Night-Walkers, Population 36 (22 in Khlin, 14 in Imlona)
Age of the Awoken Darkness, Midnight (roughly) of Hilal (Crescent Moon)
Techs: Map-making (1/3)
Heart-Tree of The Homelands
"We will meet the world. We will stop hiding, for if we do not face the world, it will face us. We face the world, and we gain our place. If the world must face us, our society burns to ash, forever lost to us."
-Bolach
Profound darkness surrounded the grounds near the center of the forest. Pure blackness seemed to stem from the Heart-Tree of the Homelands, the citadel that glows with power and respect inside the innermost sanctums of the land. The beating heart of the forest that must stand witness to any true claim of leadership or similar ritual. On this night, two groups of Night-Walkers were gathered around two opposing sides of the tree, the villagers of Imlona and the villagers of Khlin. Supporters of Trixarch and Bolach. The holy night of Hilal was near its zenith, the crescent reaching the center of the sky. It was declared time to finally begin the ritual. The challenge of Takanakuy, the trial of the gods' will. A true struggle, though a simple one. After the initial speeches and rituals to the gods, it is a battle with no quarter, no survivors, and but one is allowed to leave alive. It is the most serious of rituals, one invoked only in matters of ultimate and profound importance to the future of the Walkers.
Bolach spoke a few words to Haixun and rose to his feet. He could feel it in the air, the spirits watching and waiting in anticipation. He could feel a sense of peace, a sense that if he lost, his son has been prepared. Haixun is ready. Trixarch rose as well, feeling much of the same as his opponent, except that he felt a sense of superiority, that the spirits he gave tribute would surely give him victory this day. With the two enemies risen to their feet, they walked closer until they were within ten paces of each other. Then, the other Walkers rose and gathered in a circle surrounding them. There was great tension in the air, they could feel the mutual animosity these two shared for one another. Even if they were friends, there was no backing out now.
Trixarch was first to give his vows before the battle, "You challenged me, Bolach, and here I am. You challenged me, though you have no respect for our traditions. You would have us trade them for your foolish belief that these outsiders are to be trusted, that they are to be understood to survive. This will end in the demise of our people. You have no idea what kind of creatures you may find, ones that may track us back here and kill us all. No, this will not come to be. The spirits must agree, you will find nothing here but death. I vow to fight you, and save our people from the flames you would bring upon our people."
With his speech finished, Bolach responded with his, "Yes, I challenged you, Trixarch. I challenged you because you are a fool, a fool that would have us squat in our trees as the rest of the world moves forward without us. This moving world would eventually find us, we simply have the choice of living on, one with this world stuck in motion, or be crushed in an attempt to resist. This is our choice, and I believe that our people should continue to exist. The spirits will guide me either to my demise or my victory. In this, I feel peace. I vow to fight you, Trixarch. I vow to fight you and save our people not from the flames, but from the cruel lord that is time."
Thus spoken, Bolach and Trixarch began circling one another, waiting for a moment to strike. This was life or death, not just for the two leaders, but both believed that their civilization was at risk as well. Crimson blood stained the forest soil, Trixarch had lashed out with a great fury, smashing Bolach onto the ground. Trixarch jumped at the grounded Bolach, dumbfounded when he seemingly disappeared. Trixarch was grabbed from behind and eventually wrestled to the tree. A great struggle ensued, neither able to gain an inch of ground against the other. Trixarch's strength was pitted against Bolach's endurance and agility. Fighting blow for blow, the stalemate finally ended. There was a mushroom in the ground a few paces from where they fought, Trixarch's back to it. Bolach, sensing the advantage, had a sudden burst of strength, taking Trixarch by surprise. Trixarch fell back and tripped on this unfortunate toadstool. Bolach jumped on top of Trixarch, wrapping his hands around the chief of Imlona's neck. When Trixarch realized where he was, he tried to grab for Bolach, but his arms were blocked by roots. It didn't take him long to get his arms out from under the web of roots, but it was long enough. In this grand darkness, the near-invisible eyes on Trixarch's face bulged and he tried to resist, but it was too late. His spirit was now to be one with the darkness, one with the Heart-Tree, one with the moon. Trixarch's spirit departed from his body after a short period of resistance, and with that, a new age dawned upon the Night-Walkers.
@Shoggothought
While the Walkers began looked at one another, in great interest of their new future and a limited sense of mourning (he had an honorable death, he will live on in the glories of the afterlife). They were no longer separate people, according to Bolach. They were one people, one great tribe united. It was during this that a scream was heard. A Walker had turned and saw a group Wooden Men that had watched the whole ritual, had gone into the back of the crowd when they gathered together. The Wooden Men saw the ritual, they know of the Heart-Tree. Bolach responded to this sudden chaos by climbing to a nearby branch. He told the people, "The spirits chose me for victory this night. They guided my hand in the death of Trixarch, just as they must have guided the Wooden Men here. I challenged Trixarch to give us a chance to connect with the world around us, and this is the first step. My son has a theory to communicate with them, and I believe that we can do so. Let us open our doors to the future and find out what these creatures know."
After his speech, many of the Walkers had calmed down. Then, a villager from Imlona, recognized as one of Trixarch's supporters, rose up to an opposing branch. She spoke, "Have you no shame! These creatures, they have seen the Heart-Tree, the holy sanctum of the Homelands. You have no respect for our traditions, you can't rule Imlona. You have no right!" The angry Walker took out her bow and in the matter of a moment, loosed an arrow at Bolach. Chaos erupted as Bolach was hit and flew off the branch into the ground. Near civil-war came when some villagers of Imlona tried to grab the Wooden Men and some of Khlin tried to attack Bolach's killer. Some tried to stop the chaos, but it seemed that there would be a slaughter.
Haixun was told by Bolach that Imlona might be a problem, that they might even try to go against the spirits' ruling. He was told how to invoke traditions to uphold his claim and end the whining of Imlona villagers (or, as it turned out, open aggression). Haixun went to a branch overlooking the chaos and shouted "Silence! You killed Bolach, yet he was given victory by the spirits. You would kill the Wooden Men, though they have done you no harm, yet they seem capable to. You would kill this assassin, though she should be handled by the chief. I was designated the heir of Bolach and by the moon and tree you will heed my words! Stop this if you respected my father and our tradition! I am chief of Khlin and Imlona!"
Surprised, the Walkers did actually stop. The strength in his voice was incredible, stronger than that they had heard from their former leaders. The Wooden Men were cautious and did not understand what had happened, but they recognized that this Walker on the branches was now their undivided leader. They did not flee, they were intrigued by what they were seeing. "My father spoke of a method for communication and I will use it. We will speak with these creatures and find out where they come from, and we will seek out the City at the End of the World and beyond. We will see what lies beyond the wastes of the east and beyond the woods of the north. We will become a strong, united people. Any who would dare disagree speak now." Haixun spoke. None tried to disagree.
Haixun climbed down to the ground and walked with a stick to the Wooden Men. He whispered a quick prayer to the moon, hoping that this would actually work, as his legitimacy depended on this. Haixun walked to the Wooden Men, and silently thanked the gods as they looked at him curiously. He drew a message in the ground amounting to, "What are you doing here?" The Wooden Men, understanding, took the stick and drew a picture of them delivering corpses to the Forest. The next question was "Who are you?" The Wooden Men drew a picture of a large settlement with three distinct creatures shown. A Wooden Man, a creature with a spherical head that is seen dead around the forest every now and then, and a humanoid shape with limbs seemingly coming off of their face. The next question, "Where is this?" The Wooden Men looked at each other and, after some deliberation, drew an arrow pointing east.
Haixun's final message before ordering the people back to their villages and leaving was "Tell your chief we will soon visit your land." The Ferream looked at one another and nodded before leaving. Looking back at the villagers, Haixun spoke, "Ah, almost forgot. Grab the killer. The spirits must have their due."
Age of the Awoken Darkness, Midnight (roughly) of Hilal (Crescent Moon)
Techs: Map-making (1/3)
Heart-Tree of The Homelands
"We will meet the world. We will stop hiding, for if we do not face the world, it will face us. We face the world, and we gain our place. If the world must face us, our society burns to ash, forever lost to us."
-Bolach
Profound darkness surrounded the grounds near the center of the forest. Pure blackness seemed to stem from the Heart-Tree of the Homelands, the citadel that glows with power and respect inside the innermost sanctums of the land. The beating heart of the forest that must stand witness to any true claim of leadership or similar ritual. On this night, two groups of Night-Walkers were gathered around two opposing sides of the tree, the villagers of Imlona and the villagers of Khlin. Supporters of Trixarch and Bolach. The holy night of Hilal was near its zenith, the crescent reaching the center of the sky. It was declared time to finally begin the ritual. The challenge of Takanakuy, the trial of the gods' will. A true struggle, though a simple one. After the initial speeches and rituals to the gods, it is a battle with no quarter, no survivors, and but one is allowed to leave alive. It is the most serious of rituals, one invoked only in matters of ultimate and profound importance to the future of the Walkers.
Bolach spoke a few words to Haixun and rose to his feet. He could feel it in the air, the spirits watching and waiting in anticipation. He could feel a sense of peace, a sense that if he lost, his son has been prepared. Haixun is ready. Trixarch rose as well, feeling much of the same as his opponent, except that he felt a sense of superiority, that the spirits he gave tribute would surely give him victory this day. With the two enemies risen to their feet, they walked closer until they were within ten paces of each other. Then, the other Walkers rose and gathered in a circle surrounding them. There was great tension in the air, they could feel the mutual animosity these two shared for one another. Even if they were friends, there was no backing out now.
Trixarch was first to give his vows before the battle, "You challenged me, Bolach, and here I am. You challenged me, though you have no respect for our traditions. You would have us trade them for your foolish belief that these outsiders are to be trusted, that they are to be understood to survive. This will end in the demise of our people. You have no idea what kind of creatures you may find, ones that may track us back here and kill us all. No, this will not come to be. The spirits must agree, you will find nothing here but death. I vow to fight you, and save our people from the flames you would bring upon our people."
With his speech finished, Bolach responded with his, "Yes, I challenged you, Trixarch. I challenged you because you are a fool, a fool that would have us squat in our trees as the rest of the world moves forward without us. This moving world would eventually find us, we simply have the choice of living on, one with this world stuck in motion, or be crushed in an attempt to resist. This is our choice, and I believe that our people should continue to exist. The spirits will guide me either to my demise or my victory. In this, I feel peace. I vow to fight you, Trixarch. I vow to fight you and save our people not from the flames, but from the cruel lord that is time."
Thus spoken, Bolach and Trixarch began circling one another, waiting for a moment to strike. This was life or death, not just for the two leaders, but both believed that their civilization was at risk as well. Crimson blood stained the forest soil, Trixarch had lashed out with a great fury, smashing Bolach onto the ground. Trixarch jumped at the grounded Bolach, dumbfounded when he seemingly disappeared. Trixarch was grabbed from behind and eventually wrestled to the tree. A great struggle ensued, neither able to gain an inch of ground against the other. Trixarch's strength was pitted against Bolach's endurance and agility. Fighting blow for blow, the stalemate finally ended. There was a mushroom in the ground a few paces from where they fought, Trixarch's back to it. Bolach, sensing the advantage, had a sudden burst of strength, taking Trixarch by surprise. Trixarch fell back and tripped on this unfortunate toadstool. Bolach jumped on top of Trixarch, wrapping his hands around the chief of Imlona's neck. When Trixarch realized where he was, he tried to grab for Bolach, but his arms were blocked by roots. It didn't take him long to get his arms out from under the web of roots, but it was long enough. In this grand darkness, the near-invisible eyes on Trixarch's face bulged and he tried to resist, but it was too late. His spirit was now to be one with the darkness, one with the Heart-Tree, one with the moon. Trixarch's spirit departed from his body after a short period of resistance, and with that, a new age dawned upon the Night-Walkers.
@Shoggothought
While the Walkers began looked at one another, in great interest of their new future and a limited sense of mourning (he had an honorable death, he will live on in the glories of the afterlife). They were no longer separate people, according to Bolach. They were one people, one great tribe united. It was during this that a scream was heard. A Walker had turned and saw a group Wooden Men that had watched the whole ritual, had gone into the back of the crowd when they gathered together. The Wooden Men saw the ritual, they know of the Heart-Tree. Bolach responded to this sudden chaos by climbing to a nearby branch. He told the people, "The spirits chose me for victory this night. They guided my hand in the death of Trixarch, just as they must have guided the Wooden Men here. I challenged Trixarch to give us a chance to connect with the world around us, and this is the first step. My son has a theory to communicate with them, and I believe that we can do so. Let us open our doors to the future and find out what these creatures know."
After his speech, many of the Walkers had calmed down. Then, a villager from Imlona, recognized as one of Trixarch's supporters, rose up to an opposing branch. She spoke, "Have you no shame! These creatures, they have seen the Heart-Tree, the holy sanctum of the Homelands. You have no respect for our traditions, you can't rule Imlona. You have no right!" The angry Walker took out her bow and in the matter of a moment, loosed an arrow at Bolach. Chaos erupted as Bolach was hit and flew off the branch into the ground. Near civil-war came when some villagers of Imlona tried to grab the Wooden Men and some of Khlin tried to attack Bolach's killer. Some tried to stop the chaos, but it seemed that there would be a slaughter.
Haixun was told by Bolach that Imlona might be a problem, that they might even try to go against the spirits' ruling. He was told how to invoke traditions to uphold his claim and end the whining of Imlona villagers (or, as it turned out, open aggression). Haixun went to a branch overlooking the chaos and shouted "Silence! You killed Bolach, yet he was given victory by the spirits. You would kill the Wooden Men, though they have done you no harm, yet they seem capable to. You would kill this assassin, though she should be handled by the chief. I was designated the heir of Bolach and by the moon and tree you will heed my words! Stop this if you respected my father and our tradition! I am chief of Khlin and Imlona!"
Surprised, the Walkers did actually stop. The strength in his voice was incredible, stronger than that they had heard from their former leaders. The Wooden Men were cautious and did not understand what had happened, but they recognized that this Walker on the branches was now their undivided leader. They did not flee, they were intrigued by what they were seeing. "My father spoke of a method for communication and I will use it. We will speak with these creatures and find out where they come from, and we will seek out the City at the End of the World and beyond. We will see what lies beyond the wastes of the east and beyond the woods of the north. We will become a strong, united people. Any who would dare disagree speak now." Haixun spoke. None tried to disagree.
Haixun climbed down to the ground and walked with a stick to the Wooden Men. He whispered a quick prayer to the moon, hoping that this would actually work, as his legitimacy depended on this. Haixun walked to the Wooden Men, and silently thanked the gods as they looked at him curiously. He drew a message in the ground amounting to, "What are you doing here?" The Wooden Men, understanding, took the stick and drew a picture of them delivering corpses to the Forest. The next question was "Who are you?" The Wooden Men drew a picture of a large settlement with three distinct creatures shown. A Wooden Man, a creature with a spherical head that is seen dead around the forest every now and then, and a humanoid shape with limbs seemingly coming off of their face. The next question, "Where is this?" The Wooden Men looked at each other and, after some deliberation, drew an arrow pointing east.
Haixun's final message before ordering the people back to their villages and leaving was "Tell your chief we will soon visit your land." The Ferream looked at one another and nodded before leaving. Looking back at the villagers, Haixun spoke, "Ah, almost forgot. Grab the killer. The spirits must have their due."
