[u][b][h2]Turn 6[/h2][/b][/u] [hider=The Map][IMG]http://i64.tinypic.com/wvy06x.png[/IMG] [/hider] [h3][color=00CED1]The Iceborn[/color][/h3] [@Cyclone] [Hider=Turn 6]The pallisades are quickly repaired after the initial celebration, leaving the workforce ample time to construct the barrow for the fallen with care. They trampled a small path through the grasslands to a lonely hill that they made bigger, and decorated the path with stones that they carved out into lantern-like objects. The barrow itself was walled by stone and had two sets of archways into the mound. On top of it, the iceborn women gathered the prettiest flowers from the vecinity and placed them in the grass, meaning in time the mound would be covered in white and blue flowers each spring. [hider=The Barrow][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4e/38/a1/4e38a110d1956db2fa21f24e9dfecb8e.jpg[/img][/hider] Initially, some had been struck with disbelief when Sigdar had refused the kingship. They grumbled when they left the feast, in the opposite direction of where Sigdar took his new disciples. Dag watched them from afar, worried. Sigdar's refusal had calmed most who would rather see him on the throne, but it was clear this was just the beginning of what could be a challenge to Dag's rule. The burning of the Deep Ones creates a big pillar of smoke that stretches long into the sky, until far above their heads the windy cloudless skies catch it and bring it eastward. For some reason, Dag felt a sharp sense of worry in his stomach suddenly as he watched the smoke. Was this truly the last they had seen of the Deep Ones? Would they persevere once more if they came again? - Deep in the woods, Sigdar took his new disciples. Very few words had been spoken as most were either fearful or awestruck by the First Chosen. They followed along quietly, perhaps in deep contemplation about what is to come and what Sigdar truly is now. At long last, they came to the clearing where the thick brush and green turned into a black crater of nothingness. In the middle of the crater was a small blasted rock, perhaps a piece of what used to be the runestone. A small whisp of smoke still lingered on it, in testament to the fierce destruction that had actually struck this place. [i]"This is where I became Kjorn's chosen."[/i] said Sigdar. [i]"We shall train here, and I shall mold you into warriors of Kjorn. If you are worthy, perhaps you too shall be granted his mark."[/i] He turned around. The other warriors looked back at him with determination. Before they could answer him however, a rustle of leaves was heard not far away, at the edge of the crater. Suddenly, a band of elves came out of the brushes from the west. They looked like simple scouts or rangers, with bows and shortswords, and they looked equally surprised to see the Iceborn as the Iceborn were to see them. However, the Iceborn were all dressed as if going to battle, with mighty weapons and round shields, some having even painted their faces in Kjorn's honor. Then there was movement in the other corner of Sigdar's eye. On the southern end of the crater, three giant humanoid creatures wearing pelts and bony daggers came out from the trees. They spotted Sigdar, and their eyes widened, but they were too far away to say anything. It seemed, they did not mind the sight of the elves as much, if even at all. As if that wasn't enough, yet another band of creatures came through the brush, this time from the eastern end of where the charred ground meets the green... [b]Goblins![/b] They looked just like the gilbin thralls back home, only their skin was green and their apparel less primitive, and they wielded crossbows of greater technological endeavor that the gilbins had seemed capable of. Just as Sigdar was about to adress the elves nearby, two more parties entered the charred grove, from the north-east and south-east respectively, flanking the green-skinned Goblins. In the north-east corner came red-skinned trolls, large humanoids with hunched backs and great tusks sticking out from their mouths. They were painted for war and carried spears or axes of bronze with shields made from wood. They had little in the ways of armor, but their skin looked tough. They weren't far from the Iceborn's current position, seeing as they had entered the grove from the north. In the south-eastern corner, another band of elves had appearned, but their eyes were white in hue and glow, and their skin dark gray, almost black. They were dressed much like the other elves, but in their own colors such as black, brown and white. Most of them wielded bow and arrow with a shortsword at their side, but their leader had a greatsword strapped to his back. Sigdar couldn't see it very well from the opposite side of the crater, but it looked masterfully crafted. What will the Iceborn do now...? [hider=Overview of the Grove][IMG]http://i65.tinypic.com/20ib5z5.png[/IMG][/hider] [color=gray][Warriors lost from the battle against the deep ones: 65. Adjusting population.][/color] [b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b] [b]Population:[/b] 234 men, 254 women, 68 children. [indent][i]- 155 Goblin Thralls[/i][/indent] [b]Livestock:[/b] A herd of goat. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Above Average [b]Resources:[/b] Lumber, Iron, [color=gold]Honey (low quantities, legendary quality)[/color] [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 5% [i]+1% from food level, +2% from morale = 8%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Very High [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [indent]- [color=0054a6]Children of Artemon[/color]: [color=yellow]Neutral[/color] - [color=teal]Deep Ones[/color]: [color=darkred]Hated[/color][/indent][/hider] [h3][color=yellow]The Antari[/color][/h3] [@Murtox] [color=red]No post found. 1/3.[/color] [Hider=Turn 3]The scouts ventured outward into the surrounding region and found seemingly abundant wildlife. To the north the terrain was mostly open with a river cutting through the grasslands. With only a few trees and forestated areas to protect them, the animals here were mostly small like rabbit, deer, beaver and the occasional fox or other lesser predator. The river was full of fish however, and near the streams where the samon jumped up the small falls, bears could be found waiting for an easy snack. In the mountains close to Pachacamac, the scouts found mountain goats and great rams that seemed a good choice for domestication indeed, but they were such adequate climbers that they simply eluded the scouts wherever they found them. To the west, the scouts dared not venture too deep into the unknown forest but they noted a few brown bears near the outskirts. They must live north and west of the river that cuts through the grasslands, and in the forest they found elk and moose. Lastly, to the east, the scouts were chased out of the mirky woods by packs of wolves, more brown bears and territorially aggressive moose and elk, even reindeer. Why had the wildlife grown so hostile to the east, and not the west, the scouts wondered. Oh, and boars. Boars were pretty much everywhere, in the grasslands, near the slopes of the hills before the mountains and the woods to the east and west. Rano Rancor looked at his new invention. Not bad, he thought, but not a masterpiece either. He held up the crude crossbow in his hands and aimed at the target he had set up in his workshop at the opposite side of the wall. He aimed, placed the sights at the bullseye, and fired. THWOP, THUNK... The bolt hit slightly off target. No matter, he thought. Nothing that a simple adjustment can't fix. He barely had time to finish his thought before Amari Asto himself, accompanied by a few advisors including Manco, came to his workshop to check on his progress. [i]"Well sire, I do believe I have a good enough prototype ready but I was just about to make some final adjustments. Would you like to try it? It's quite easy to use."[/i] he said, quickly showed Amari Asto how to properly aim and fire, and off went the bolt toward the target. [i]Still[/i] slightly off... Hm. Oh well. It was still a strong invention, and on par with the lizardmen's own contraptions. But would Amari Asto be pleased enough with his endeavor? - An expedition was formed. If the supposed human tribe to the south could be contacted, the Antari thought they might be allies against the lizardmen. They trained themselves, supplied themselves and finally set off toward their destination, given to them by their captive lizard, so many were uncertain of the accuracy of this intelligence. Still, they had a mission to complete and they would see it through for their people, their family and friends and their ruler. [color=gray](Is Amari Asto a king?)[/color] It occured to them once they had exited the guarded pass however that... Well, they can't just simply stroll by the lizardmen camp. They might be spotted, attacked and eaten or worse, in that order. They came up with a few alternatives, and the man or woman who had been named expedition leader considered their options. They could either... [b]A)[/b] Stroll straight south, hoping to avoid the lizardmen in the mountains while they take the most direct route toward their destination. [b]B)[/b] Go further west around the great lake, to (hopefully) avoid the lizardmen but to complete their task at a slower rate. [b]C)[/b] Get as far away from the lizardmen as possible westward to completely avoid them and safely get to their destination, but cost them a lot of extra time. [b]D)[/b] South[i]east[/i]! Of course! Obviously the mountains can't go on forever, maybe there's an easy way to the humans by going around the lizardmen no their east side. [b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b] [b]Population:[/b] 213 men, 210 women, 56 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Above average [b]Resources:[/b] Stone, lumber, copper. [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 5% [i]+1% from food level, +0% from morale = 6%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Indifferent [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [indent]- [color=orange]Lizardmen of Ves'Tuk[/color]: [color=red]Hostile[/color][/indent][/hider] [h3][color=0054a6]The Children of Artemon[/color][/h3] [@Pirate] [Hider=Turn 5]As the light hit the fields of green one morning, many elves awoke with a feeling of newfound security. The pallisade that they had constructed around their settlement had been completed last night, and while most farms couldn't possibly be included in the pallisade, the entire village center was now protected from outside forces. Five elven warriors were sent to guard the caves, and a band of miners (most being elven volunteers who had trouble finding any other suitable occupation) went with them to begin their efforts. With them was an experienced prospector, who immediately went to work in identifying the strange new mineral, silversteel. No regular tools could extract the ores from the rock walls, so while the prospector attempted to find a way to mine the precious and obviously powerful new mineral, the iron and silver had to be enough. Indeed, it was more than enough. In the span of a few weeks the Children of Artemon went from completely metal-less to having a source of both iron and silver from which to craft new tools, weapons, idols and cosmetics. For now, the silver was mostly processed to be used as wealth seeing as there was now a higher influx of silver than the elves could decide what to do with. It was by no means a monumental amount, but they'd have to decide what they actually wanted to use their silver for. - The scouts had arrived at their destination. They could feel it in the air, their sharpened elven senses urging caution. They came to a large forest and once they found a walkable path they made their way deep into it, and quickly. Before long, the elves could see a clearing up ahead, perhaps a grove or a glade. Once they stepped out from the cover of the trees and the bush however, they came to realize they were standing before a massive crater in the earth, blackened and charred with the dirt and vegetation having turned to ash. This must have been what Craftpriest Aleon wanted them to fill the pouch with, and this was indeed the goal of their journey. This is where the great lightningbolt fell, and split the land asunder. Was this the work of some God? An immensely powerful wizard? Or something else? As they stepped further out from the trees however, they realized they weren't alone. To their left, on the north edge of the glade stood a band of humans, armed with shields, axes, spears, and seemingly dressed for war. The elves in comparison were dressed for travel, with shortswords and bows. These were the same humans that had sailed up the river, the elves realized, but something was different about them. Their leader, a beast of a man far above six feet tall, had menacing tattoos all over his body in pagan fashion akin to his culture, and his great axe was adorned with the same runes that covered his body. Some of the warriors were warpainted. The scouts grew nervous, but the humans seemed equally surprised to see them here, and did not draw their weapons just yet. Perhaps they could be reasoned with-- The leaves rustled far to the elves' right flank. Drawing a sigh of relief, they saw it was their Giant allies from the south (and west from here) who had come to, probably, also see what had been left of the giant lightningbolt. They nodded to you, and you nod back, your friendship established. The giants see the humans, but do not seem alarmed. Then they look straight across the crater to the north-east... It seems more parties emerge into the grove. To the east, a band of goblins emerge from the underbrush with spears and crossbows. They seem aghast at the sight of the humans, and confused at the sight of elves and giants, but even more aghast when two more parties enter the crater-grove to each of their flanks. To the north-east, a band of savage red-skinned trolls emerge with axes, clubs and wicked daggers. Some even wield spear and shield. They seem out for blood, or at least aggressive. To the south-east, straight across from you, emerge a party of dark-elves..! They spot you but make no move, no sign of surprise and no greeting. They simply observe the multitude of peoples that have emerged before them to the crater, but your scouts guess that they are not in a position to make battle due to them being dressed much like yourselves - shortswords, bows, light clothing for travel. What will happen in the grove...? [hider=Overview of the Grove][IMG]http://i65.tinypic.com/20ib5z5.png[/IMG][/hider] [b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b] [b]Population:[/b] 162 men, 165 women, 56 children. [b]Military:[/b] 15 Elf-at-Arms. Militia able to be conscripted up to 20% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Above average [b]Resources:[/b] Lumber, fish, [color=gray]stone [i](small quantities.)[/i][/color], iron, silver. [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Trade:[/b] [indent]Imports: [i]Raw leather and animal goods from [color=orange]Giant Camp[/color].[/i] Exports: [i]Processed leather goods to [color=orange]Giant Camp[/color].[/i][/indent] [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 4% [i]+1% from food level, +0% from morale = 5%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Indifferent [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [indent]- [color=ed1c24]Bonesnapper Tribe:[/color] [color=red]Hated[/color] - [color=orange]Giant Camp:[/color] [color=lightgreen]Friendly[/color] - [color=lightgreen]Lothelonni:[/color] [color=green][Assimilated][/color] - [color=00CED1]Iceborn:[/color] [color=yellow]Neutral[/color][/indent][/hider] [h3][color=DarkSlateGray]Clan Oreborn[/color][/h3] [@Kangutso] [color=red]No post found. Turn: 1/3[/color] [Hider=Turn 4]A goldenbeard explorer sat on a rock, resting after his recent voygages. He had been tasked, along with his group, of finding animals nearby that could perhaps be tamed or domesticated. It was a tale he'd be telling over a pint of ale for many years to come. [color=gray]Hours earlier...[/color] The beast whirled, almost knocking the dwarves over by the sheer gust of wind. It was bulky, giant and had huge tusks but its' legs were short and sprinty so it couldn't strike at all of them at once. When it snapped back to fight off one of the dwarves, another stabbed at it with his spear. Eventually they managed to tire it enough that it collapsed on the ground. Everyone drew a sigh of relief. The beast was in fact a boar, but calling it a boar was a gross understatement from its' immense size. It was like a rhino, or a mammoth if there were any in this world. How they would tame or domesticate such a giant pig, they had no idea and so they left the beast to recover on the ground. Much to their shock and awe, and indeed horror, as soon as they turned around the beast lept up again and charged at them. In a strange turn of events, Gorgh the lead scout was flung up in the air, harmlessly landed on the beast's neck and gave it a good whack with his fist. The beast stopped dead in it's tracks, throwing Gorgh off to land in front of it, and when everone thought the beast would devour him whole or trample him to death, the darn thing licked him. It suddenly became like a lost puppy who found a new mother - so docile and gentle. The entire scouting group rode on the back of the giant boar back to the clan's lower settlement where they initially scared the living hell out of the villagers, but later managed to convince them the beast was harmless. Mostly. Now, Gorgh and his dwarves had been tasked with finding more of the beasts to domesticate and bring back. Oh woe is me, Gorgh said and fell asleep on a rock. Back home, the smithy and the few Ironbeards available had started working on crossbows for the military. The woodworkers were soon brought into the project and eventually, a steady workflow was created. They would continue their work until told to stop or until materials ran out. - Echadon and his companions of 8 were sent to the Ursar, who welcomed them warmly but would not let them pass into the settlement center just yet. It seems some sort of celebration or ritual was under way and while the dwarves were welcomed in, they were not allowed to participate. After a moment of waiting in the large tent that has become the sort-of embassy for whenever the dwarves visit, an Ursar you have never met before enters the tent. He is old and venerable and speaks slow in a croaky voice. Barely did you even have to ask them about the strange storm, for they told of the omen their God had given them. They revere a God called Khoros who is their God of strength, blood and honor. The storm was to them Khoros leaving his mark upon the world. They said very soon, Warriors of Khoros shall come to call upon all true followers for the final war for the world itself. If you believe them... Well, that's up to you. [color=gray][City completed in: 4-6 turns.][/color] [b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b] [b]Population:[/b] 174 men, 170women, 64 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Average [b]Resources:[/b] Copper, tin, gold, lumber, iron. [b]Wealth:[/b] Very low [color=gray][i](Consisting mostly of raw gold ore for now)[/i][/color] [b]Trade:[/b] [indent]- Mutual small-scale trade with the Ursar.[/indent] [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 5% [i]+0% from food level, +0% from morale = 5%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Indifferent [b]Foreign relations:[/b] - The Ursar: [color=lightgreen][i]Friendly[/i][/color] - The Brown-Skin Orcs: [color=gray][i]Not yet met.[/i][/color] - The Lilitu: [color=gray][i]Not yet met.[/i][/color][/hider] [h3][color=DarkGray]The Lycan Covenant[/color][/h3] [@Pyromaniacwolf] [Hider=Turn 3]As night finally fell after the bright of day, heavy clouds swept in from the west and covered the moon and the stars. Under the cover of this utter darkness, Grash Bloodfang and his warriors gathered on a hill. The Ogre patrol that had been sent to seize this week's slaves, resources and other wealth had been delayed and couldn't leave before nightfall. Yet they were anxious not to stay in the lycan village overnight and decided to set out despite the great dark of night. What a mistake that had been. Basir had managed to gain much support from the oppressed lycan population who gladly gave away whatever tools or weapons they had for Goldtooth to modify into new weapons for the cause. The Bloodfang warriors were now armed with new weaponry, ready to bash Ogre skulls. Mex Silentpaw had mapped out the Ogre patrols perfectly for months now and had managed to create a distraction for the ogres leaving the village tonight. She made sure they couldn't leave before nightfall without arousing any suspicion by saboutaging their wagon and fabricating some logistical issues in the roundup of lycan prisoners. The Ogres had thought the wagon wheel had just rusted, and ordered the lycan smiths to hand them new bolts for it, but the crafty Goldtooth smiths simply lied and said they had none, but would of course supply their overlords with fresh new ones from their forges... Not that they had much in the ways of resources for a lot of things, but a few bolts they managed to scrape together just in time for the Ogres to be satisfied. Early enough that they'd still want to leave, but late enough so that nightfall could sweep over them. Vlath and his newly recruited Mouths of the Voidcaller (as he had named his new priesthood) had managed to not only openly boost morale and ignite a spark of fury back into the lycan population, but they had also managed to infiltrate the prison train. In fact, all the prisoners taken by the ogres were either Mouths of the Voidcaller themselves, or fresh converts eagre to spill Ogre blood. With the darkness sweeping in, warriors ready on a hill outside of the village armed with new weapons, and infiltrators ready to spring the trap from within the prisoner train, the trap was set and armed for the Ogres. Now they need only wait for the trap to be sprung. Vlath walked down the narrow road that the ogres had made connecting their warcamp to the lycan village. When he spotted the patrol torches in the distance, he stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the road and waited. A cowl covered his face and long black robes covered the rest of his body. On the hill on the north side of the road waited Bloodfang and his warriors in ambush, ready to pounce from the ditches and charge down from the hill. Vlath needed only to wait until the Ogres spotted him, which wouldn't happen until they were mere yards in front of him. Slowly the patrol, numbering 20 ogre soldiers and three wagons, one with resources and tribute from the lycans, the other with 10 lycan prisoners (all in actuality infiltrators) and the third was a boxed wagon with three heavy locks. The lycans had no idea what was in it, but it must be something important if they locked it with three heavy locks and chains. Vlath could sense a darkness from it, but it did not alarm him. He wasn't concerned with whatever was locked in the wagon, so he did not realize the three wagons that had entered the village had all been empty on arrival, so whatever was locked into the third one was acquired on site. The ogres were upon him now. They halted, astonished, and raised their torches in alarm. [i]"Who goes there?!"[/i] the pointman said. [i]"Bah, just another lycan scum. Begone, whelp. Go back to your village, and get out of our way."[/i] Vlath felt rage well up inside of him. Bloodfang's warriors and the infiltrators waited for their signal. [i]"Let it be known that from this day, the Lycan Covenant retake our sovereignty and drive out our oppressors. We shall mount Ogre heads on pikes for miles, and for each fallen or taken Lycan we shall kill a hundred Ogres! And when the deed is done, and your race is brought low - your survivors will join us under the Void Gods and repent, for we will use them as servants to our Gods and sacrifices to their glory!"[/i] As his speach went on, his tone grew louder. At the end, he gave a fierce howl and threw off his robes, his tattoos flaring up with Void Magic. His strength grew and he dug his claws into the ogre on point's face. He screamed in agony as his life-force was sucked from his body, and while Bloodfang's warriors charged down from the hill and up from the ditches, the Ogre's body fell to the ground, nothing left but a hollow husk, but Vlath was empowered. He had tasted death and been blessed by it. The ogres would die tonight, he thought. - Vlath was glad to know that his powers granted by his Gods were still there. They may not have answered his most recent prayers or efforts to contact them, but their power was still undeniable. He had not lost a single shred of faith despite their silence. He watched as a sole Ogre survivor ran from the ambush toward the Ogre encampment. [i]"Let him go."[/i] Vlath ordered. [i]"He shall tell his people of what is to come. They will dread the day they declared war on the Covenant."[/i] Only one lycan had been killed and another two wounded in the ambush, while 19 out of the 20 Ogres escorting the wagons lay dead or dying on the ground. The Bloodfangs had charged down the hill, hit the prison wagon hard and freed the Lycan convert-infiltrators, who had bolstered the Bloodfang ranks and turned on the Ogres in seconds. It had been a bloodbath, and this week's tribute was now back in Lycan hands. One of the Mouths of the Voidcaller approached Vlath. [i]"The ogres lie dead or dying under our wrath. Shall we bring them back and sacrifice them?"[/i] he said, bluntly. Was that what Vlath intended? A) Yes, bring the wounded ogres back to the settlement and have them sacrificed to the Void Gods! B) No, throw them like filth into the ditches and let them die. Their blood is unfit for our masters. C) Sacrifice them on the spot with less of a ceremony but no chance of any of them dying before they reach the sacrificial altar back home. And then there was the wagons... While one was now empty and another was filled of tribute that was obviously going back to the village, the third was still a mystery. Locked under three heavy locks and chains, no conventional weapon could tear it open by force. Either the Lycans could leave it there and discard it, or they could bring it back home and attempt to open it somehow. Whatever their choice, there is still the matter of the Ogres still being a threat. There are more patrols to ambush around the region, but they'll be smallfry compared to this one. The main Ogre force from the War Encampment is what is concerning. They beat the Lycans once... Could they do so again? If the Lycans are to win this time they have to prepare their next moves carefully. [color=gray][Silentpaw's mission to gather intel for the next 2 turns cancelled.][/color] [b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b] [b]Population:[/b] 147 men, 135 women, 24 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 50% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Average [b]Resources:[/b] Requires prospection and industry. [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 5% [i]+0% from food level,[/i] = 5%. [b]Morale:[/b] Rallying [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [indent]- [color=brown]Durgal's Horde:[/color] [color=darkred][i]Hated[/i][/color][/indent][/hider] [h3][color=DarkGreen]The Orc-Grave Swamp Enclave[/color][/h3] [@Bright_Ops] [Hider=Turn 5]Deep into the wilderlands the group of scouts went. They were armed with crossbows and equipped lightly to allow for good travel, and their recent acclimation to the harsh environments around the swamps and mountains had made them very capable pathfinders and danger-avoiders. Initially, they were going to travel west to find their blackskinned kin, but they were forced to stop suddenly. There, up ahead by a few rocks and a thick oak tree, a few large red-skinned trolls were resting. They had just caught a boar and was roasting it over an open fire. They outnumbered the goblins greatly, and if push came to shove, the lead scout feared they would be quickly overtaken. Luckily for them, they had the advantage of stealth and the necessary skills to put their advantage to use. They easily avoided the trolls by travelling south and around them. But... Where... What is this place? The forests grew thicker and while they had no trouble finding able paths, they couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't heading the right way. It was like the trees themselves were herding the goblins to wherever they wanted them to go. Before long they spotted a clearing however, and it seemed they were on a hill or higher ground, because they could see the ground sloping up ahead. Oh boy how wrong they were. As they made their way out into the clearing, they realized it wasn't a clearing at all but a huge black charred crater in the middle of the woods! This must have been where the giant lightningbolt struck, the lands had been split open like a nut by a maul and pieces of charred wood and black rocks still lay scattered around the blastsite. But that wasn't even the worst part! On the other side of the crater, at the far end of the grove stood a large band of twenty-something battle-dressed human warriors! They looked [b]exactly[/b] like the blackskinned goblins back home had described their opressors! Next to them just a few paces away stood a band of elves, with bows and swords and all! As if that wasn't enough, further away still to the left stood three [b]huge[/b] humans-or-something that the lead scout could only describe as gargantuans! They looked fierce but were primitively dressed and-- A rustle in the leaves. To the right..? No, left! No... Both!! To the goblins' left, a band of Dark Elves emerged with bows and swords just like the light-skinned elves at the far end of the grove! They looked calm and analyzing, but were armed and seemed capable nonetheless! To make matters worse, the band of trolls that they had evaded earlier were the cause of the rustling of leaves to their right! Surrounded on all sides by possible or definite enemies, what would the goblin scouting party do? Would there be a big battle of many different peoples, or would this be the meeting-point for future friends and enemies? [hider=Overview of the Grove][IMG]http://i65.tinypic.com/20ib5z5.png[/IMG][/hider] - Gredy was worried about Spunky. She had a reputation for living up to her given name, but was also known to be unpredictable and fiery. With such a temper, Gredy did well to ask her friends to keep an eye on her. They agreed, but pointed out that if Spunky decided on some brash course of action, they could to little to stop her. At least this way, Gredy might know of it before something bad happens... Argh, the game of love simply is too much of a chore sometimes. Gredy and Trip sat down and had their chat later that day. Trip scratched his chin in thought. Then his brow. Then his cheek. Then the top of his head. Then his back, and oh where was he? Ah, yes, food. He said he wasn't much of an expert of food, but they used to cultivate certain kinds of fast-growing fungi in the gloom of their caves before. He was sure they could recreate the effort if only they had one of those mushrooms to start out with. Or perhaps there were some kind of fungi around here that could be used? The swamp had lots of them, after all, edible and not. They decided to ask Buddy about it, since he was already at work with creating poisons from the swamp, some of them being from the fungi of the wetlands below. [i]"Err... I dunno, I don't exactly have an extensive catalogue of the local flora and fauna yet, but I can tell you what I know so far."[/i] he had said, and given Gredy and Trip his notebook of flora that he had discovered and what he knew about them. Which ones were poisonous, edible, where he found them, what animals usually ate them and so on. With this, Trip was able to accurately point out which ones he was familiar with and which might work. Now, they needed only to experiment a bit... Find out which ones would grow well and not. [color=gray][Buddy is hard at work with his alchemy and poisons, while Trip and Gredy try out different fungi to be cultivated in the caves as a kind of goblin farming. Results may vary...] [Food level settled at average.][/color] [color=darkgray][b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b][/color] [b]Population:[/b] 236 men, 239 women, 75 children. [indent][i](54 of adult population is of Blackskin Goblin descent)[/i][/indent] [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 50% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Average [b]Resources:[/b] [color=gray]Hardstone (low quantity)[/color], iron, tin. [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 8% [i]+0% from food level,[/i] [i]+0% from morale = 8%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Indifferent [b]Foreign relations:[/b] You have not met any other civilizations. [/hider] [h3][color=violet]Clan Metalbeard[/color][/h3] [@Lauder] [Hider=Turn 4]A semi-official military force is what some would call the group of warriors that were sent north to gain experience and knowledge of the lands, but others would call them a rag-tag bunch of adventurers or duelists. Whatever the commonfolk called them, they were the best warriors that the Clan had to offer and they were under official orders from the council after all. Despite their uneasy feeling, the group's morale was boosted once they realized that Blackhand's own son and heir was among them. Not only was he a respected albeit young dwarf, but he had proven to be one of the strongest duelists in all the Glimmering Mountain, which was quite a feat of strength. They set out with hammer, greatsword, sword and shield and of course whatever supplies and items they could bring. They journeyed north, away from the cold winds that seemed to have begun blowing south of the mountains and into the more temperate breezes that was the center of the continent. After a few days, they came upon a small woodland area in the middle of the vast grassy fields. Further away to the west they could see a mountain, much smaller than their own, stretch into the sky. [i]"Good, some shelter. We'll set up camp here for the night."[/i] said Grogrim as the group came up to the woodline. Ava's eyes lingered on the mountain however. She had a funny feeling about it, and she wasn't sure if it was a good one or a bad one. [i]"Oi, lads. See that mountain?"[/i] she called to the others. [i]"Aye we see it. What about?"[/i] said Forogh Gloombelly. His family was well respected but... Their ancient name was quite the laughing stock of the other families. This had made Forogh quite a cynical and ill-tempered, often rude, dwarf. [i]"I've a feelin' 'bout it. In me gut."[/i] said Ava, still staring at the mountain. [i]"So Ava Shieldbreaker's gut 'ave a feelin'? Should we be worried?"[/i] asked Forogh ironically. A few of the other dwarves chuckled, but Forogh continued. [i]"Ye met a handsome dwarf man to put somethin' in ye belly?"[/i] he teased. The others went silent. They knew better than to tease Ava Shieldbreaker about men and, spirits forbid, pregnancies. But much to everyone's surprise, Ava did not retort. It was as if she hadn't heard him. She just kept staring at the mountain in the distance, as the others got a campfire ready and exchanged worried glances. Finally, Grogrim came up to here. [i]"Ava."[/i] he said softly, and put his hand on her shoulder. This gest seemed to snap her out of it. She turned to him. [i]"There's something up there, Grogrim. I... I think it calls me."[/i] she said. Grogrim was then faced with a decision. Was he to encourage Ava to seek out whatever was calling to her? If it was the metal spirits, or the ancestors speaking to her, they must not refuse them, but what if it was some dark entity that lured her there? Was he to send Ava by herself to the mountain, or would he take a detour and stroll everyone up the mountain? Their mission was to explore the north after all, and if an enemy lurked among the cliffs and rocks, then bringing back it's head would be a worthy completion of their task. [color=darkgray][b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b][/color] [b]Population:[/b] 99 men, 98 women, 27 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Below Average [b]Resources:[/b] None. [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant. [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistant. [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 4% [i][color=gray]-1% from food level[/color] +1% from morale = 4%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Indifferent [b]Foreign relations:[/b] You have not met any other civilizations. [/hider] [h3][color=steelblue]The Elven Enclave[/color][/h3] [@ArisenMoon] [color=red]No post found. Auto dropout: 1/3[/color] [Hider=Turn 5]With the elves' magic not working, manual foodproduction had to be expanded upon. However, rumours had spread fast and now everyone knew of the spear Saleian had brought back to the settlement. While not many knew of the whole undead deal, elves began noticing Saleian's worry after he ordered new warriors be trained and all expeditions be guarded at all times by no less than three elves-at-arms. Some had begun to think Saleian was just paranoid, seeing as they didn't know he suspected undead foes may lurk somewhere. [color=gray][Food level settled at Average.][/color] The pathfinders that were sent to find the source of the spear went to the place where the wilder drake had been found. It was no longer there, and where its' blood had been spilled was now a patch of verdant green grass with flowers of many colors. The beast's blood had fertilized the soil of the earth to an extraordinary level. They travelled further west, where the grass became less green. First it became yellow like fields of grass often do, but then it became gray and scarred. It seemed the further west they travelled, the less wildlife they encountered. They prepared for the worst, but nothing happened. Suddenly, an elf foot stepped on something. It cracked and broke, and when the elf looked on his foot he saw that he had stepped on a bone. The entire party stopped and looked around. They all spotted the dead in the grass. Skeletons of warriors long dead, barely even dust left. If these were undead, they would pose no threat, for they all missed important parts to be able to move. Their armor and weaponry however was strange and foreign to the elves. They had never seen it before. The bones were those of dead humans, but the elves had never met a culture like this. Strange. [hider=The dead warriors' armor][IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/2evd8wh.jpg[/IMG][/hider] [color=darkgray][b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b][/color] [b]Population:[/b] 98 men, 101 women, 22 children. [b]Military:[/b] 5 Elves-at-arms. Currently training 10 recruits. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Average [b]Resources:[/b] None. [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant. [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistant. [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 4% [i]+0% from food level,[/i] [i]+0% from morale = 4%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Indifferent [b]Foreign relations:[/b] You have not met any other civilizations. [/hider] [h3][color=darkred]Dominion of Commorragh[/color][/h3] [@Asura] [hider=Turn 1] [color=gray][i](Written by courtesy of Cyclone)[/i][/color] As the weathered cog neared the shore, there was suddenly a horrific scrape. The wine-dark waves had concealed jagged rocks below. By such bad fortune, the ship's underbelly was breached and it began to take on water. There was no choice now, the dark elves would have to make their landing on the shore here. To protect what remained of the cargo, the sailors brought the ship through the rocks and eventually beached it. There was no chance at making it seaworthy again anytime soon, but at least it was now in shallow enough water to not become submerged in at high tide. In short order the supplies in the lower hold were brought up to the deck or onto the beach, waterlogged but mostly still usable. As in for the ruined cog itself, it retained some use: it could make for a good starting shelter before structures could be built on the land, or perhaps a fine source of firewood. A noble stepped up to Aurelia's side, one of the few that stayed faithful to her rule. In all the chaos that had just unfolded he had slipped from the Archoness' mind, but now she remembered that he had came to advise her. Who was he, again? [color=gray] A) Commander Modyn, a fine warrior who could rival Drezhar in personal combat yet surpass him and all others as a military tactician. In the past Modyn's retinue saw countless victories against the barbarians and rebels, and whilst little of it survived the fall, given time Modyn could build a new force just as formidable. B) Apothecary Garan, a sharp scholar with a dozen treatises to his name and extensive knowledge of herbalism, medical procedures, and even some forms of magic. His talents would be useful for any growing colony, not to mention his sage counsel. C) Tivam the Shadowmage, more a rogue than traditional sorcerer. He used his talents to serve the nation as an assassin, tracker, spy, and ranger; however, there were always those that suspected him of being a criminal mastermind that only served in name. A few such whisperers went missing. [/color] Upon closer examination, there are some signs of activity upon the island. The beach has a few pieces of flotsam that were not natural, and there are some signs of hunting and logging taking place in limited amounts at some point in the past. All this points to the possibility of civilization somewhere up or down the shoreline, or perhaps on a nearby island. Some voices are eager to explore the surroundings, but there are other initial actions that could be taken. [b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure D) Improve culture E) Explore F) Improve resources/technology G) Prospect the land H) Expand military I) Take diplomatic action X) Other[/b] [b]Population:[/b] 90 men, 90 women, 30 children. [b]Livestock:[/b] None. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. 30% of population can be drafted as militia. [b]Food level:[/b] Minimal [b]Resources:[/b] None [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistant [b]Growth:[/b] Base: 4% [i]-2% from food level, +0% from morale = 2%.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Average [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [indent]- You know of no other civilization.[/indent][/hider]