[center][h3]Turn 8[/h3] [hider=The Map] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/378609594030882816/516997566551031820/Map_07.png[/img] [/hider][/center] [h3][color=crimson]The Levogh[/color][/h3] [hider] [color=red]((On hiatus.))[/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] 146 men, 143 women, 75 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to about 30% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Average; improving [b]Resources:[/b] (Potentially magical) moon fungi [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Low; impacted by racial traits.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Average [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [color=palegoldenrod]Brotherhood of the Moon's Wise Children: Friendly[/color] [/hider] [h3][color=DarkGray]The Lycan Covenant[/color][/h3] [hider] When Vlath finished, the other leaders scurried off to carry out his orders whilst the two void demons continued to lurk silently behind him. Though they hadn't immediately reacted to him mentioning that they were to guard the bridge, the Voidcaller prayed anyways. When he opened his eyes and turned around, he saw that the two were gone. In the distance he could make out their forms trudging down into the river beneath the bridge. It seemed a good idea to station them down there; they were utterly invisible to any would-be attackers that tried to cross the bridge, but they could certainly watch what was happening above and emerge in a surprise attack if necessary. The Lycans that crossed over the pontoon bridge could [i]feel[/i] the presence of the two champions down below. Relocating their settlement across the river and into the forest was a task that went very quickly. The bridge and the short distance helped, as did the fact that most of the Lycans had yet to accumulate much in the way of belongings. It would be easy enough for the civilians to harvest more lumber for their new houses. What wood they had already stockpiled at Wulfshelm was simply left there; it would aid Grash in the efforts to build the fortress of Seagard, and carrying it back across the bridge would have taken too much time and labor. Currently it as crude seeing as they had no stone as well as limited tools and labor, but the 'fortress' of Seagard quickly turned into something of substance. Atop a small hill near the river, they dug out a ditch and driven logs into the ground to make a palisade wall. A few crude towers were built along the wall, and inside the small hillfort they had a few buildings to store supplies and offer the defenders some shelter. Given sufficient time and continued effort it might become something greater, but for now it was a humble yet serviceable outpost for the Bloodfang warriors. Now that they were building their city in the forest across the river, there was some talk of further exploration; the Covenant hadn't ventured very deep into the woods and likewise knew nothing of what might dwell in the nearby mountains. But that talk was silenced when the first of the Silentpaw scouts across the river finally caught glimpses of the monstrous creatures that had been leaving footprints all throughout the plains. [hider=They were formidable adversaries] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8d/66/e7/8d66e7666f8f086a49afde8cf7f6a341.jpg[/img][/center] [/hider] A small band of three of the creatures had been seen wandering near to the coast, dangerously close to the site of one of the sacred stones from which the void champions had emerged. Hulking giants of muscle, these creatures were much larger than any of the Lycans, and indeed big enough to probably give ogres a formidable opponent. Nonetheless, the trio of creatures seemed intelligent. As the Silentpaw scout had observed them from a hiding spot in the tall grass, he claimed to have heard them speaking. There might normally be some question of whether these creatures were truly hostile and of whether or not they could be converted, but the Void Gods had told Vlath that these were the enemy, so the question had been settled before it was even asked. For lack of a better name, the Lycan scout referred to the creatures as Rhino Men. The trio that had wandered close to the shore were probably still there, looking for something. The Rhino Men probably were used to traveling in larger groups judging by the footprints stampeded into the plains, so this might be a rare opportunity to ambush a small number of their scouts before they could regroup with any of their friends that might be lurking somewhere farther out in the grasslands. [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] 138 men, 138 women, 65 pups. [b]Livestock:[/b] Small number of rabbits [b]Military:[/b] 2 void monsters. Militia able to be conscripted up to about 30% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Slightly below average [b]Resources:[/b] Lumber (low quantity; increasing) [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Low; impacted from food level.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Average; brought up by respite from rain, brought down by food level [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [color=silver]Rhino Men: (???)[/color] [/hider] [h3][color=lightblue]Attolia[/color][/h3] [hider] The arrows seemed to scream as they soared through the air, every inch of their perfect arcs guided by unseen ghosts. The Spirit Vessel could project her arrows incredible distances and land impossible shots; she truly never missed. And how quickly she could loose the next arrow, and the one after! But of course, when the still-living Attolian archers tried to join in on her training and emulate her technique, they failed miserably. It was hard to tell if the spirit was watching them out of the corner of her empty eyes and scoffing, or if that was their imagination and she was paying them no heed whatsoever. In either case, she was not at all eager to teach, if her skills were even something that could be taught. One or two brave elves approached and asked her how to become great archers themselves, and she only answered, "Fire a bow for your entire lifetime, and then for another ten." It wasn't exactly the most practical or usable advice, Caelis had to admit. The shamans had at least some traces of success, it seemed. In numerous great ceremonies stretched out over the span of a few weeks, they dedicated gold and worship to the land and its spirits. Some of the fifty pounds of gold were thrown into the muddy bottom of the oasis, some were buried in the plains, and others were ground to dust and scattered on the wind. The local spirits seemed immensely pleased with this offering and it would be a shame to move on to other lands after becoming so close to the guardians of this place; however, the one malign spirit that plagued their dreams did not seem swayed by any of these offerings. It must have held a grievance too great to simply be paid off. In fact, now they were starting to make out its shape in their dreams, so they realized with a start that it was getting closer to them, becoming ever more real... [hider=The vengeful spirit, once they could peer through the shadows that obscured it] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/236x/1c/86/9b/1c869bccdbe674052467adab8eb32262.jpg[/img][/center] [/hider] And one day, with a start, half the shamans shared the same dream and they all saw the gazelle's corpse as it laid bloody, mangled, and rotting on the ground. Walking away was the faint outline of the hunter Salvdal, who had killed the animal, taken only the best cuts of meat whilst leaving the rest to rot, and then left without even offering the animal a prayer of thanks. So that was what had earned them this terrible vendetta with the spirit. When the shamans awoke they might have called for Salvdal to be arraigned to finally answer for his cynicism and this grievous offense against the land, but their dreams went on. There was a bright flash, and then they suddenly saw a monstrous creature with tusks and red skin and one eye gouged out. It must have appeared a great and powerful hulking thing if it stood up, but it was kneeling, almost crawling, its mouth mere inches from the earth...whispering to the ground and its spirits. And there, the gazelle was emerging from the ground to answer it, and the gazelle was leading the monster to its prize just as the boar spirit had led the Attolians to their treasure so long ago. And behind the spirit and the shaman that followed it, there were a great many other figures. There was still some time before the angered spirit brought whatever evils were following it down to bear upon them; the shamans reckoned that it would be perhaps another day or two before the spirit reached their campsite. In the meantime, there were many preparations that could be made. Everyone seemed to have their own ideas of what should be done, some wilder than others, but there was only time to enact a few of the plans: [color=gray][i]Choose up to three of the following:[/i] A) Bring Salvdal to answer for his crimes; perhaps that will appease the spirit where gold couldn't. B) Have the shamans try to send friendly spirits to harass the dark one and slow its advance. C) Send the Spirit Vessel to assassinate this strange, monstrous shaman that conjured the dark spirit before it can reach the Attolian camp. D) Send the fastest riders out to catch up with the scouts heading north and recall them; their help will perhaps be necessary in a battle to come, and in any case if nobody tells them what is happening, they might return weeks later and never know what happened to their tribe and kin. E) Fortify the camp with physical barricades, trenches, and maybe even some traps F) Fortify the camp with magical protections, like circles of salt and totems, to keep evil magic and spirits at bay G) Send scouts out to confirm the dreams, determine what sort of enemy might be coming, and slow them down or reason with them if possible H) Perform the ritual to create additional Spirit Vessels; you could use more than a ragtag militia or just Lady Saphira to protect the camp. I) Start driving the cattle away from camp and sending the young and elderly to safety. There might not be time for a full evacuation, and this spirit might well follow the Attolians to the end of the earth until none remain, but at least some might be able to flee on this day. X) Other. There are perhaps one or two different precautions that Caelis thought of. [/color] [b]A) Improve food B) Improve military technology C) Improve infrastructure, and some w 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] 139 men, 139 women, 76 children. [b]Military:[/b] 1 elite warrior (spirit vessel). Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population. [b]Livestock:[/b] A large herd of cattle [b]Food level:[/b] Above Average [b]Resources:[/b] Horses (A small number) [b]Wealth:[/b] 250 pounds of gold; some precious jewels [b]Trade:[/b] Some internal trade, facilitated by currency [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Average; impacted by racial traits, good food level, and good morale.[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Below average (ill omens) [b]Foreign relations:[/b] None [/hider] [h3][color=darkgreen]The ap-Cantar[/color][/h3] [hider] And though they had thought the broken woman's face dry because she had no more tears to give, a single droplet nonetheless formed in the corner of her eye. As she let her head hang down, it fell down into the volcanic ash that dusted the ground. "And this is all that's left of us, of those that they drove out. We have nowhere left to go, no hope at rebuilding on our own. So kill us and be done with it, or take us as slaves, it makes no difference anymore." The Mewari had already suffered greatly from desertion and sickness and infighting following their leader's death, so they were doomed when disaster struck and the ashes fell. Only a few especially stubborn families had remained holed up in that fortified village with what little food stores were left, and when those began to dwindle, the strongest realized their peril and drove out some of the other small and weak families, that the ones who remained might have enough supplies to weather out the harsh season. This woman and a dozen other half-starved and broken people had been exiled from the village that fortnight, but now only eight of them stood before Miksuin and Furrayn. They looked weak, and not especially useful. They had been given every chance to leave the foolish path that they walked, but it was only now after so many months that they finally chose to accept the mercy of Cantar. Perhaps these were unworthy; perhaps the time that Hiwcantar had prescribed for the Mewari's surrender had long since elapsed. These people were weak in any case, and it would be a long time until they could be nursed back to the point that they were of any use to the tribe. Regardless of whatever the two generals decided to have done with this latest band of refugees, the fact remained that the Mewari were now an insect that had been crushed yet still writhed. Reports said that they were now little more than bandits, raiding the very villages upriver that had supported so recently in their war against the ap-Cantar. It was coming time to finally end them. By this point it was going to be a mercy to stomp on the bug a second and final time. As the ashfall had dwindled, the ap-Cantar had slowly cleaned the mess and repaired the damage that the calamity had wrought. Though their supplies were not as bountiful as could be hoped, they were now in a good position once more and life had mostly returned to normal, though there was still the ever-present worry for those warriors that had followed Hiwcantar to the mountains weeks ago and had yet to return or send back word. Still, aside from finally ending the Mewari, there were other tasks that could be done by the rest of the tribe to strengthen their position. [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] 166 men, 307 women, 131 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 40% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Above average [b]Resources:[/b] None [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Above Average[/i] (influenced by food level and recent events) [b]Morale:[/b] Average [b]Foreign relations:[/b] None [/hider] [h3][color=purple]The Mustaqilun Tribe[/color][/h3] [hider] After having been enslaved by the Dark One for so long, it's as if battle had practically been bred into the Mustaqilun orcs. Sure, for many their role was not to fight in his armies so much as to slave away making arms and supplies for those that did, but even those supposedly lucky ones were hardly given a peaceful existence. There was always the struggle against one another and the land itself, so even the lowliest of slaves was no stranger to scrapping. Or perhaps all orcs simply had an aptitude for fighting. In either case, the martial training went well. The veteran warriors and hunters were able to hone skills that had grown rusty after their escape, and the younger ones that had yet to see fighting were nonetheless quick to learn the necessary skills. And true to his word, Saizo soon saw to it that all of the missing orcs were returned to Riverforge by the next morning. Most were fine, though some were certainly in rough condition and had been beaten worse than even that first shaman to return. Given what Rukdug now knew of the 'firestones' and their dangers, as well as the goblins' paranoia regarding the oni, perhaps it was understandable that they had employed such brutality in questioning their captives. Still, while the prisoners were glad to have been returned to their homes, most still held a grudge against the goblins. In fact, [i]many[/i] of the Mustaqilun were angry at the current state of affairs. They had yet to [i]see[/i] the oni and hadn't heard what Saizo had said of them; most of the idiots hadn't even seen the firestones below and witnessed their dark powers. So to ally with the goblins that had attacked the tribe and dishonorably kidnapped dozens of them reeked of weakness, and no talk of this unseen 'oni' threat was appeasing many of the grumbling idiots. Rukdug had a serious morale issue on his hands, and at a poor time no less. After having armed and trained more or less the entire tribe, the angry masses were in a better position than ever to attempt some sort of foolish coup to overthrow him. At least there was the good fortune that the next day, something came to distract them and take their minds away from treason. They had nowhere where the group came from; indeed it seemed as if they had almost simply manifested out of thin air mere yards away from Riverforge's walled gate by the stream. The group consisted of three of four of the goblin ninjas, but these wore more ornamental robes than Saizo and his rabble and they certainly weren't riding wolves. At the head of the group was a tall and slender figure that towered over the goblins. That one was unquestionably their leader judging by the size and splendor of his clothes and the great curved sword that was sheathed on his hip. The swordsman approached the sentry by the gate and gave a short bow, and when the orc looked at the creature's visage he did a double take. [hider=The ancient swordmaster] [center][img]https://orig00.deviantart.net/9bd3/f/2013/154/b/0/mundus_creature_tengu_by_binbinn-d67r6v4.png[/img][/center] [/hider] The creature had long wisps of white hair and a beard, but his face was that of a [i]bird[/i]. And not only did he have a beak for a mouth, his bare feet also looked every bit like an eagle's talons. Only his arms and stance seemed humanoid. When the brief bow was over, the tengu looked to the orcish sentry expectantly, but the bewildered orc didn't reciprocate. Nonetheless, after waiting a few moments the swordsman spoke, "I am the one called Master Ful, and I would see Lord Rukdug if it pleases him." The sentry stepped aside and Ful entered Riverforge with his entourage. Some of the sparring orcs looked up from their training and a few didn't hide their disdain and disgust, but Ful pretended not to see. Before anything regrettable could happen from brazen actions, Rukdug became aware of the commotion and was able to enter the scene. Ful repeated his courtesy of a bow, and after giving Rukdug a chance to answer in kind, offered his own introduction. And then he moved on to business. "I can sense that your people find our presence distressing. I will apologize for the actions of my disciple, though I hope he will have explained why such actions were necessary. Saizo and his soldiers are rash, so they were ordered to keep watch on the tunnels. It seemed unlikely that you would ever delve so deep, so their assignment was meant to be a quiet and monotonous one that might impress meditation and calm upon them; more patient and restrained ninjas observed you above the ground. It is unfortunate that our first encounter was on such poor terms, underground and between your people and an irate Saizo, but I would humbly beseech that you let the poison wash downstream rather than leave it to linger and taint the water forever. "Saizo claimed that he came to an understanding with you. He has fulfilled his side by releasing his hostages, so I hope that you will likewise honor your commitment and support our war against the oni. I can assure you that it is in your best interests to oppose them; no power or alliance that they offer is without a horrible price, and those that stand in their way receive nothing in the way of mercy." The conversation seemed to be quickly heading toward a request for soldiers right [i]now[/i], but in all fairness Rukdug came to the realization that he had never told Saizo exactly [i]when[/i] he would send the warriors. Perhaps it would behoove him to first restore order to the tribe and perhaps forge metal arms and equipment for the chosen warriors, and only then send warriors off to fight the oni. [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] 196 men, 196 women, 96 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 60% of adult population. [b]Livestock:[/b] Numerous partially domesticated boars [b]Food level:[/b] Average [b]Resources:[/b] River stones (small amount; being gradually depleted), [i][color=gray]copper, zinc, and arsenic[/color][/i] (decent amount; not yet being worked or smelted into alloys) [b]Wealth:[/b] Some semi-precious gemstones [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Average[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Low (discontent due to dealings with the goblins) [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [color=Gold]Ful's Ninjas: Neutral[/color] [/hider] [h3][color=orange]Orr'gavol: The Hammersworn[/color][/h3] [hider] Makkar's band made their hasty preparations and then immediately ventured south. After walking a fair ways they came to the forest's edge as well as a great river that would have been a formidable obstacle to them indeed, had it not been frozen completely over. Upon the other side was only a flat white expanse, as far as the eye could see. They crossed the stream and entered the plains, and beneath their feet felt the dead and frozen remnants of great and tall grasses. If it weren't such a harsh winter so as to kill even the vegetation of the plains, they might have been tempted to try making grass stew. But as it was, there was nothing. Some quarreling began as some dwarves saw the grassland more or less as they would see an endless desert. It was an empty place seemingly devoid of any life or resources, and who knew how far it went on for. Perhaps it was endless. But nonetheless, the dwarves had already picked the forest around their hovel clean, so it seemed there was nowhere else to go. For a while they merely followed the frozen river as it ran west, for it was a fertile land along the riverbank and there was more to dig up beneath the snow. They found some nuts and roots that seemed edible enough. Hungry as they were, it was easy for the band to rationalize not sending this back to the hovel, and that they needed to keep those supplies for themselves that they could continue the journey. Eventually they followed the river until its mouth finally reached a great bay. Some chunks of ice floated in the water but most was still liquid. There was a great mixture of emotions: for one that had grown in the shadows of the mountains never witnessing the sea or the mighty oceans, even this tiny bay seemed a wondrous and gigantic thing. But once their awe of nature subsided, it was replaced by excitement at the realization that they had found a vast and unfrozen body of water that could be fished. They spent the better part of a day upon the dreary cold sands doing just that. They were not the greatest fishermen and their bounty was only mediocre, with most of these fish looking strange and being surprisingly small for such a vast bay. Perhaps the larger ones had all fled, swimming to warmer waters. A few stayed behind to continue fishing and then return to the hovel with both a bit of food and their newfound knowledge of the land, but eventually Makkar decided to move on. The greater part of the band packed their things once more, taking some of the fish with his as they followed the coast south. For many days their life consisted of trudging on down the cold beach, only stopping their daily marches to gather driftwood so that they could light campfires for cooking fish and for melting snow into drinking water. Some hope and vigor was restored to them as they noticed that with every day they traveled south it seemed to get noticably warmer and the snows less thick; they thought this to be a sign that the brutal winter was beginning to relent, but in reality it was just that these lands farther south had not been cursed with nearly so much a horrendous winter; the magic of the ice trolls was not as powerful this far away. Their surrounding were utterly flat: the sandy beach didn't slope much, the great grasslands to their left were but a snowy sheet, and aside for its wave the ocean was like a smooth mirror pane that reflected the sun. Eventually the monotony was broken by a great sight: there were the rising silhouettes of great trees in the distance! Makkar had in truth been contemplating returning to the hovel, and if another uneventful day had passed he might well have given the expedition such orders. But now the Orr'gavol's curiosity was sparked--they truly knew nothing of the lands this far south and of what that forest might contain, so they approached it eagerly. And then as they neared it, they saw a sight that made them freeze: there was smoke rising in the distance. Cautiously, they approached the source, and they from the cover of the treeline they witnessed a clearing with a small hamlet in the center. There was one truly great hall atop a hill, fortified with a small pallisade around it. A great pillar of smoke rose from its chimney and in truth it looked like it could have easily housed a hundred dwarves in comfort. Around that central hall were a few much more humble structures: there were several squat huts and smaller buildings that might have been toolsheds, and then attached to the great hall was a silo and what looked like a storehouse. Another large building was a fair ways away from the others, but it looked more like a barn. A fence encircled the entire 'settlement', and a second (cruder) fence came quite close to where Makkar's party was as it encircled much of the great clearing. The enclosed space between the treeline fence and the inner fence were almost certainly used as farmland during better times of the year, but now it was just fields covered in a light dusting of snow. None of the hamlet's inhabitants were outside, but in all fairness they seemed to have prepared for the winter, so why would they be suffering in the freezing cold when they had their warm homes? It was awfully tempting to just stroll into the hamlet for the chance of finally getting to sit next to a warm hearth and perhaps enjoy good food...and of course, to primarily meet the folk that dwelled her and establish good relations! That would be their intent, of course. ...but then they would be outnumbered and at the mercy of the hamlet's inhabitants. They could perhaps wait, but if anybody came out and saw them skulking around the settlement's border they would likely appear as nothing more than a ragtag group of opportunistic bandits. Though not all were quick to vocalize it, almost all of the dwarves at least considered trying to sneak into the village, quietly raid their food stores, and then flee back to the hovel with the ill-gotten gains. [hr] Meanwhile, back at the hovel morale was reaching a new low. A few had succumbed to sickness, but at least the quarantine measures seemed to be effective at preventing the spread. A few with dark and sarcastic humor mused that it was unfortunate that starvation couldn't similarly be fixed with quarantines. [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] 223 men, 224 women, 108 children. [b]Military:[/b] No standing military. Militia able to be conscripted up to 30% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Low; food stores decreasing [b]Resources:[/b] Lignite coal (low grade; large amount, increasing), iron ore (small quantity, increasing) [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Very low[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Very low, due to sickness, starvation, and the Abductor's attack [b]Foreign relations:[/b] None [/hider] [h3][color=aba000]The Aedelfaari[/color][/h3] [hider] ((No turn 7 post; your stuff's frozen until you come back!)) [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] 203 men, 210 women, 94 children. (Minor casualties suffered in the battle) [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] Lumber (small quantity) [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i] Above Average; influenced by food and morale[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Above average; returning to normal [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [color=Green][i]Lord of the Forest[/i]: Friendly[/color] [color=Gold][i]Fusebeard's Freebooters: Wary[/i][/color] ((It'd probably be worse if there were any pirates left to run off and tell the tale!)) [/hider] [h3][color=Blue]Oguurec Dekaan[/color][/h3] [hider] At least two goblins had been maimed and one had died playing their game trying to ride the wroth billy goat, and it still showed no signs of getting any tamer. But Joz figured he'd give it a few years before giving up on the plan! At least the goats seemed somewhat happy about no longer being stuck in their pen all the time. Meanwhile, in the forested mountain, Uxu's stealthy party came across an abandoned campsite. There were the dead embers left behind from a fire that had been just small enough to not give off enough smoke to be seen, with some dirt having been kicked over the coals. Then there was also three or four comfortable piles of leaves that looked as though they'd been used as bedding, but there was no sign of that thing with a bow here or anywhere else that they'd looked. Maybe it had just been passing through with a few of its friend and had already moved on? Maybe they'd be coming back with more! It was impossible to know; Uxu cursed herself for having been too slow to catch the prowling thing before it had fled these parts. Perhaps next time she should use a few strategic explosions in the air to determine where to go...that'd probably work. Echolocation, or something like that. Bats did it all the time! Now, after turning through the woods for far longer than any bored goblin wanted to, she [i]did[/i] find a few subtle signs of travelers. The tracks looked like they were heading east, but the signs were few and far apart. These seemed to be especially stealthy creatures, probably experienced woodsmen, and they hadn't left behind much in the way of tracks. Well, what was she going to do now? [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] 210 men, 201 women, 87 children. [b]Livestock:[/b] Small herd of untamed goats [b]Military:[/b] 15 Kooch Hor mages. Militia able to be conscripted up to 40% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Below Average [b]Resources:[/b] Lumber (moderate amount; low quality) [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Average; influenced by low food and racial traits[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Average [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [i]None[/i] [/hider] [h3][color=rosybrown]Mol'nan Tribe[/color][/h3] [hider] As the ogres began to withdraw from the area back towards the boats, they saw a few more of the strange totems, all near the rough border of a somewhat densely forested area. It seemed that the inhabitants probably stuck to that forest, so when they retrieved their boats and headed to a flatter grassland by the coast northeast, they felt quite a bit safer. Along the way there had been little of note to report, save for the realization that the wooded mountains seemed to be home to some freakishly large bears. At night they had heard and seen one such beast trampling through the woods as if it owned it. While the wild bear stared at them for a moment and seemed to take note, it eventually went its own way. It was good that the Mol'nan were so numerous and that they were ogres of such size and strength; it that weren't the case, perhaps the animal would not have been so timid. In any case, that was just yet another reason that they were glad to quickly leave those parts behind and settle down in a region that seemed more...quiet. Once they set down their ships and took to the task of clearing out the land, they made good progress. Here it was less hilly and rugged and there weren't many trees to get in the way, so they just had to uproot some brush and drive away the snakes and other vermin that lived nearby. They were able to gather plenty of stones from the bed of the nearby stream, but there were hardly any small rocks to be found in the grassy area they'd cleared. Still, there were one or two sizable boulders, and they were strong enough to eventually get the things out of the ground and then carry or roll them over to the growing pile of rocks. Now that they had a good site, some stones to work with, and the potential to tear about their ships for lumber if they wanted, they had everything that they'd need to begin building some shelters. Of course, there was also the issue of securing a steady amount of food, and some were keener on addressing that than they were on building. It would be hard for them to sustain themselves if they tried to simply hunt and gather things from the nearby area; they ate quite a lot and would quickly deplete the food sources. [b]Population:[/b] 126 big boys, 126 big girls, 48 lil'uns. [b]Livestock:[/b] None [b]Military:[/b] Militia able to be conscripted up to 50% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Below Average [b]Resources:[/b] Stones (decent quantity) [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Low; influenced by low food and racial traits[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Above average (they're glad to get out of the forested mountains) [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [i]None[/i] [/hider] [h3][color=lightgreen]Ekon-Danna[/color][/h3] [hider] But just as the migrants from the south were pressuring north and propping up Hunzuu's position, there was starting to be some pressure from the north. As Hunzuu had grown from a tiny place of rest to a sprawling campsite, there had been more and more sightings of humans from the north. Most would immediately turn around, but a few larger bands were get close enough to look before skirting around. At least they all kept a wide enough berth to prevent any true skirmishing from breaking out, but it was unsettling to know that there was definitely some civilization to the north that was becoming aware of their presence in the area. As in for what the humans might be trying to do or how they would eventually choose to react to the incoming waves of sand trolls, nobody could do anything but guess. Even though the Ekon and other tribes had wandered in the southern deserts more or less since the dawn of time, they knew almost nothing of this human civilization or indeed of any others to the north, or of the geographical layout. They had never possessed much reason to venture far outside of the desert, and even if they had in the distant past it wouldn't have mattered, for it was not a very old kingdom of men that existed to the north of the mountain pass. It had cropped up only a few generations ago as the humans migrated into their present lands, and its people still had a rugged and tribal look about them; perhaps they were more like the nomadic Ekon-Danna than they were the lazy and agrarian folk of more 'civilized' and ancient civilizations. This uneasy state of coexistence wasn't going to last much longer; Malak needed to soon decide just how the sand trolls would deal with these humans. [color=Gray] A) React with hostility; they've only come close with small bands so far, so they could probably send a message by attacking the next few groups that wander close. Perhaps they'd even be able to acquire some slaves or loot in the process. B) Proceed with caution, trying to delay the decision until it's easier to gauge just how powerful this human kingdom is. Send scouting parties north to find out all that they can. C) Establish peaceful contact; both the sand trolls and the humans are wary people, so true lasting peace might be hard to achieve. But by merely talking, at worst they might need to pay tribute for the time being to maintain the peace, while at best, a mutually beneficial alliance or trade could eventually arise. D) Other. Perhaps Malak has different policies in mind.[/color] [b]Population:[/b] 165 men, 164 women, 58 children [b]Livestock:[/b] None [b]Military:[/b] Militia able to be conscripted up to 50% of adult population. [b]Food level:[/b] Below Average [b]Resources:[/b] None [b]Wealth:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Trade:[/b] Nonexistent [b]Growth:[/b] [i]Average; influenced by low food and racial traits[/i] [b]Morale:[/b] Average [b]Foreign relations:[/b] [i]Human Kingdom (Wary)[/i] [/hider] [hr] [hider=Somewhere else...] The terrified deckhand spun around to face the sound of pounding footsteps, but even before he turned, he knew what he'd see. He'd [i]smelled[/i] the madman coming; the stench of sulfur and smoke that clung to his clothes always betrayed his presence. "Out of my way!" the admiral roared, shoving the kid aside. Looking like a crazed demon with smoke wafting around his ears and hair, rising from all the lit fuses entwined into his coal black beard, Fusebeard was not to be trifled with. In his hands he held a massive long-barreled gun. He leaned against the railing of the ship's upper deck, looked to the distant ship fleeing with all the wind in its sails that the devil would give them, and then steadied his aim. They no doubt thought they were safe from such a distance away, and if it weren't the Vengeance that chased them, they might well have been. But it [i]was[/i] Fusebeard and his ship, and nobody was ever safe from him. He fired, and a moment later a nearby lookout with a spyglass called out, "Their man at the helm's down!" Fusebeard spat. "Aye, 'course he is." Half his reputation came from acting every part the most violent and crazed lunatic of a dwarf to ever sail the seas, and the other half from doing [i]that[/i]: with every captain that Fusebeard had gunned down from aboard his own ship a half mile away, another crew had surrendered and his legend had grown even greater. Usually his armada also grew one stronger, but in this case, it was his own ship that he'd be prying back from the dead-hands of that mongrel, traitorous shit of a mutineer... He threw down the gun. "Pull up to broadside! Prepare to board!" The pirate ship ahead had slowed, and its crew offered no resistance as Fusebeard and his lackeys threw down the gangplanks and crossed over. A half dozen men immediately began begging for mercy, but Fusebeard walked right past them all as he stormed up to the ship's helm. The captain was still alive up there, mortally wounded but leaned up against the rails and clutching a knife as if that'd do anything. Fusebeard procured his second favorite gun, a revolving hand-cannon on his side. A half second elapsed between the time that he drew the gun and the time that he'd blown off the captain's hand. Another half second, and then he finished the job by blowing off half the captain's head. "Start askin' 'em where my gold is," Fusebeard roared to own of his own crewmen. "I'll find where they hid it, and I'll have it back, even if I have to hack every last one o' these landlubbers to pieces!" [hider=The Pirate King] [center][img]https://images.mentalfloss.com/sites/default/files/styles/mf_image_16x9/public/gettyimages-51244649.jpg?itok=oZYx9xbG&resize=1100x1100[/img] [i]They said that he wouldn't touch his crew's grog; drank only cheap rum with each bottle having a weight of gunpowder mixed in.[/i][/center] [/hider] [/hider]