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[TankKit]

Namif looked at the man with curiosity. While he could not understand the freezing emissary, words are not the only way one can gain information. He was clearly from a rich tribe, judging by the embroidered spider-silk cloak, and from somewhere warmer where he didn't have to deal with and get used to the cold. He was likely from far away, judging by the difference in language, but still close enough that a few words could be made out. And with the talk about spider gods and foreign peoples, on top of the embroidered spider silk cloak, it was likely his tribe worshiped spiders in a similar way to how the Plefir worshiped the mountains and the Great Gravekeeper Imvton. Maybe they worship another form of Segdoress? Either way, It was unlikely that any more information would come from the emissary before them, so this meeting was ultimately fruitless. With more important matters to attend to, Namif dismisses the emissary and gets to work.

Research Prospecting One thing the Plefir lacked was wealth. While they could theoretically make a smithy, it would almost completely deplete the Plefir wealth and likely cause infighting, which would be especially bad so early on into his Namif's rule. Therefore, prospecting and gathering more minerals was simply a better decision all round.

Send scouts(200 Army) to the nearby tribes and gather as much information as possible. The area controlled by the Plefir was once the land of the five tribes that now make up the five clans of the Plefir tribe. They were some of the oldest tribes, the first nomads to settle down and form tribes, meaning they were the most powerful in the region. Being the most powerful tribes in the area they constantly the majority of their efforts, both diplomatic and not, were focused on each other, even as tribes grew more powerful around them. This means they are severely lacking in knowledge about their neighbours, which is not good for any tribe that wants to survive. Therefore, it is time to learn about the neighbours.
Will NPC tribes be shown on the map once we learn about them?

[Lord_lemonpie]

Will NPC tribes be shown on the map once we learn about them?

Yes, they will.

[TricMagic]

Can I make a Waitlist entry?

[Lord_lemonpie]

Can I make a Waitlist entry?

You can! Your tribe will then probably appear as an NPC first. If I think I'll be able to manage enough players, or someone opts out/gets wiped, you can get in control.

[piratejoe]

To Ariella, the choice presented to her by the High Priests and the Clans was a simple one in terms of what she thought was best, however it was not so clear in terms of what she thought would bring the most stability, at least in the short run...She knew that making sure Fanw was pleased was one of the most important things for her people, especially considering how they relied quite heavily on hunting, and with Fanw's blessing those hunts would be plentiful. But that relied on Fanw giving her blessing, and while to the Children of Fanw they were a kind goddess, it wouldn't be a good idea to make them upset. So, Ariella would take some time on the decision before siding with the priests, explaining how while they may need to be careful with how much food they make today, they will be able to feast after the snows of winter melt away with their hunting blessed and if there are any shortages, Ariella herself would go out to hunt and not return until they had enough food to rectify that problem and then some.

Research Trapping It wouldn't come to anyone's surprise that she would have a few people look into the ideas of a couple of hunting techniques that relied on ones pray coming to you instead of you finding the pray. While certainty not as involved or grand as normal hunting, it still was hunting, and it was another way to get the creatures in the forest to feed her people, along with soothing the worry's of the clans.

Ariella would consider sending a few hunters and soldiers out to search the surrounding lands for any note worthy features, such as new resources or possibly people not part of Llychlyn, but for now thought against it for a number of reasons. It certainty might be a good thing to do later though.

[Ragnar the Råsh of Emal]

Leader: Chieftain Arkiston (34)
Wealth: 13
Army: 500
Resources: Cliff Silk (2)
Research: Spinning (Silk), Weaving
Buildings: Basic Temple of Cu
Natural Features: Spider Cliffs (1 Cliff Silk/turn)


Arkiston looks upon the two girls in front of him. He.. distastes the way that the families are showing off their daughters, but this is a wonderful opportunity to bring others into the Web. The girls were both beautiful, no doubt about that, but it was more of what they brought to the tribe. He was wealthy, perhaps the most wealthy chieftain in the world at the moment. But his army... was lacking. But Frihnya would bring enough soldiers to bolster his army to acceptable levels.

"I have made my choice."

He beckons Frihnya up to join him, and dismisses the other family.

Research: We shall put more thought into the many uses of Spider Silk, with it being the strongest material we have available.

Send: 100 scouts, each in a group of ten, with an ambassador accompanying them, go to seek out trade routes with nearby tribes.

[TricMagic]

Name of Tribe: Lycia
Color: Lightgreen
Name of Ruler: Sacae Meadowrain
Starting Resource: Archery/Horses
Main Deity: Lyndis, Goddess of the Wind and Sky
Lore: Long have the people of the plains fought each other, with spear and club. Hunting the plains and forests, gathering and fishing. A number of tribes against each other, until now.

Using Bow and Arrow, and domesticating Horses, they have conquered the various disparate tribes under one banner. The Rain has come to the Plains, and they now seek prosperity for al their people..

Waitlist/NPC

[TankKit]

I wrote some more lore about the Plefir. Not as good as I'd like, but I'm really only getting a good basic overview over the history of the Plefir tribe and how it works. If I want I'll go into more detail later, once the framework is done.

Spoiler: The First Tribe (click to show/hide)

The First Tribe, Tribe Trileb, was strange compared to the others. While the other tribes were all originally groups of wandering nomads that decided to settle down, the First Tribe was actually a group of nomads who split off from the rest of the group after an argument over whether or not they should make one place their home. Their original tribe considered wandering and observing nature to be sacred, worshipping nature gods and never taking too much from their surroundings so as to avoid disturbing nature. The argument arose when the chieftain's son, Sicheft, defiled a sacred figurine of Ganrutod, a god that would later become the Plefir god of Life, Nature and The Sky.

Sicheft was a popular, influential young man with the majority of the nomads, well known for being able to talk his way out of practically any situation thrown at him. Early on in his life, he had gained a fascination with spiders and their webs, amazed that life could create such intricate patterns supposedly for so simple a purpose as catching food. This remained a fascination for now, but would eventually play an influential part in shaping the course of his life. A few years later he stumbled upon a strange plant while foraging for food and decided to sniff it to test how good it smelled before he brought it back, only to wake up hours later with a large spider crawling around his arm and no memory of what had happened between finding the plant and the spider crawling on his arm. His immediate reaction to the spider was surprise, throwing the spider off his arm and yelping in shock. He second reaction was regret as the spider scurried off and he remembered the intricate patterns of spider webs and realized the spider had made one of those webs between his fingers, only for him to destroy it in surprise. He decided to head back to the camp, temporarily forgetting about the strange plant and the incident with the spider as he thought about what how the tribe would react to his complete lack of food after being gone for so long.

Naturally his complete lack of food after so many hours of foraging displeased the rest of the tribe and his reputation took a hit, though this was quickly recovered when he made up for it by preparing everything for the sacrifice of the left over food back to Ganrutod. However, when he went to go to sleep the next night he remembered the plant and the spider. As he lay on the ground in his specially prepared mound of grass, on a hill overlooking the camp, staring at a spider spinning a web on a tree, he suddenly had an idea. He had long thought that webs were far too intricate to be made simply so that the spider that made them could eat, and there had been that incident where he woke up with the spider spinning a web in his very own hand, so what if instead of being simply to catch food they were messages? Of course only a god could possibly control life, but it was well known that Ganrutod did not take spiders or other small insects under his protection, as they were ultimately only his first creations and were far from perfect. So what if another god became their patron after Ganrutod abandoned them, and was using the spider's webs as a way of sending hidden messages to the people who worshipped Ganrutod? What if those messages were cries for help, for surely such a god would be weak from so little worship and care for her creatures? Then, Sicheft made a decision. A decision that was probably the most important decision ever made in the history of the First Tribe. He decided to head back to the plant to investigate it and the spider again. The next thing he remembered was looking at his bleeding, splintered hands and the broken idol held within them.

The first one to notice what he had done was a lookout who had just noticed that Sicheft wasn't sleeping where he was supposed to be, and was about to notify everyone else when he saw Sicheft. Sicheft simply looked at the lookout as he shouted to the rest of the nomads, waiting until everyone was awake to begin convincing them of the new truth he had discovered. At this point he was convinced that the spider's webs were a way for the secret god to communicate with them, and that the plant was a way for the secret god to take direct control over their bodies, hence why he woke up with the spider on his arm earlier. Now all he had to do was convince everyone else that he was correct.

Naturally, this proved rather difficult as he had just destroyed a sacred wooden idol with his bare hands. The argument simply went further and further against him, with the majority of the group arguing that he should be exiled for destroying the sacred idol, with only a few supporters arguing in his favour. Even when another member of the tribe known as Segdor stepped forward and claimed to of experienced the same thing the argument just barely halted as this caused a third tribe member to say they also encountered the plant. With this new evidence supporting Sicheft, and the influence Segdor held for being a great warrior, the tribe was now split between those who wished for Sicheft to be exiled, those who claimed he should still be the next chief, and those who either had no opinion one way or the other or simply didn't know what was going on. It was at this point that Sicheft, trying to turn the situation to his advantage as much as possible, announced that he would gladly be exiled since it would let him stay near the plants that the hidden god could control them through. As it was obvious that Sicheft would not respect the tribe's rules if exiled, this instead sparked a new debate: Should the tribe stay, or should the tribe continue onwards?

The main reason this debate was even a thing was due to the fact that each side had people who would prefer to continue their nomadic lifestyle and people who would prefer to settle down somewhere, anywhere for once. This had long been a growing problem in the tribe even before the controversy with Sicheft, he merely brought it to the fore. Thus began another furious debate on whether or not to stay or continue their nomadic lifestyle, with each side collapsing under insults and accusations of betraying their own side. Sicheft had used the growing animosity of the tribe to his advantage by changing the subject to a more heated one, and he now brought up the previous argument again. This time his group, mainly consisting of his followers and people who wished to finally settle down permanently, slightly outnumbered the other group due his manipulation and activeness during the argument. It was at this point that he decided he had gained enough people on his side, and marched off with the majority of his group to begin settling down. Seeing they were outnumbered, with no hope of convincing the other side to stop what they were doing, the remainder of the tribe followed the chieftain Schofta away from the traitors, continuing their endless journey across the world.

And so, The First Tribe was created.

I'll add to the pantheon as I write more about the history of the Plefir tribe. Basically, Imvton the Great Gravekeeper was the god of the Plefir tribe, the one which managed to unite the others, and the Four Primaries are the main gods of the other tribes turned clans. Then theres the Lesser Gods, which are basically everything else in the pantheon. As you can probably tell from the fact that Ganrutod is counted as a Primary, this isn't the last we'll see of the nomads.

Spoiler: The Plefir Pantheon (click to show/hide)

The Great Gravekeeper
Imvton, God of Mountains and Death

The Four Primaries
Segdoress, God of Spiders, Intrigue and Lies
Ganrutod, God of Life, Nature and The Sky
-
-

Lesser Gods

Archery sounds more like a researched thing to me.

[Glass]

(Just so you know, Lemonpie, trolling is the actual, real-life term for the thing, and since it’s really just dragging the fishing lines, it’s not exactly something that needs to get taught :p )

Yes, of course we must go and investigate the fate of Ata’una. On land or sea, the Keepers keep each other. And, of course, we cannot grow if we do not tend to what we already have.

Research: We would likely be best served to look into more palatable ways to cook our foods. Morale will be higher, we’ll probably be able to make the meals more nutritous, and they may be useable as trade goods with other tribes we may encounter.
(In other words, research cooking II.)

Additionally, let’s build some jellyfish nets. Not all the seas have the jellyfish our turtles need, so it’s better to stock up when and where we can.

[mightymushroom]

The Carazan –

Forne pressed his stumpy hand against his temple. He truly didn't understand. He wasn't one of the nobles, he was just an old village gossip who had a gift for talking with people. He wasn't a priest, he just had heard his parents' generation speaking all the old lore and gave his own advice by spinning the same stories. And he was never a warrior, though it seemed his injury earned their respect. It was all silly. He wasn't braver because a razortooth shark had attacked him; it's not as if the tribe were the only predators who loved to hunt the Tullyfish. And couching advice in a story about the gods just helps to soften the blow when you have to straighten someone out to do the right thing. Listen well enough and everyone will tell you just want they want to hear, or need to hear. All I have to do is tell them their conscience is on the right path, he thought, and maybe kick them once in a while to keep them there.

But this, he didn't understand. He'd been invited to the Council of Councils on his own merits, little as they were. Why weren't they treating his children the same? He supposed he knew the answer, or one answer at least: that the generation before was gone. These people looked to Forne for reassurance that they were going the right direction, same as he had looked to his own elders once. But even knowing that, who would comfort the comforter?

Aranar was a fine man and accomplished weaponcrafter, but also very shy, not much like his father. Some of the priests had the curious idea that Obali handed out talents in a family line; but for all Forne's pride he thought they would never bring Aranar forward except for his family connection. Rulership would be a burden to him without his father's easy gregariousness. He didn't think Aranar wanted it either, but hadn't brought himself to say no. No chief can afford that weakness.

Ironically, the youths who might benefit most from an inherited nobility supported Ithian. They calculated that his accession to chief would overcome the traditional deference to age. On the opposite hand, most of the older ones in the noble faction hoped to control and manipulate a man barely into adulthood. Of the three, though it pained him to admit it, Ithian was least ready and perhaps never would be. He has little more kindness in him than a spider in its web.

And Threia? He knew she was popular among her warrior friends, but she had too few other connections in the tribe. And she was extraordinarily beautiful, grown into the image of her mother just before the birth fever took her. He could barely look at her without his eyes tearing up from memory. If I grumble they ask if my hand still pains me, he thought. I know that losing a few fingers is hardly any pain at all. But Threia had never married, despite having one young son, and had no fond memories of her mother to wound her. Her service as a warrior had been light as well. Forne couldn't be sure how well she might hold under adversity.

Most of all, though, he felt angry. Crotchety, perhaps. Was he old enough yet to be crotchety? Maybe, there weren't many folk around more advanced in years these days. How dare these silly people ask him to choose among his own children! So he started the same thing he always did in these meetings, talking each side into a truce. Let them choose after I'm gone, he thought. Don't they owe me that much? But of course they didn't see things that way. What my children need most, he concluded privately, is more time and I don't know how much I have to give to them.

Perhaps he could speed things a up a little. Give them each a task, both to prove their merits and to season them a bit more. Yes, that was a good idea. Did he have have a story ready?  Maybe he could adapt the one about Junae the Moon spurning her father when she thought he loved the Lomik the Deep Whale more than his other children. "Come forw—"

* * * * *

Threia gasped as her father toppled in a heap. For a bleak moment she feared the worst, before the councillors nearest the throne confirmed that he still breathed. She was barely a step behind them to reach Forne's side. She cradled him softly, shook his hand, called his name. His eyes opened briefly and rolled in his head before closing again. She heard somebody calling for a doctor. Others were muttering, too, gossip already forming.

"I think he was calling for Ithian," someone spoke up. "Forne was pointing toward him as he fell."

She looked. The boy who spoke was one of Ithian's group, the so-called junior nobles he was always hanging around with. Ithian stood next to him, piously looking surprised. Threia felt sick at his fakery, but the shock of the lie scrambled her wits.

"It t t tw w was s s Th Th Thr Threia," someone else said. Only her oldest brother stuttered like that, and only when he was very nervous or surprised. "I think h he w wanted Threia." Aranar's voice firmed up even as he continued.

Her head whipped around, as did everybody else's. Aranar was looking at her, though. She met his gaze, and in a flash she understood. She and Ithian had been near each other; Aranar was on the wrong side of the room. He saw the plot and how to defuse it, she realized. He acted, when I froze. Aranar deserves to be chief more than me. And now, it can't be him.

"Our father is sick and troubled," she heard herself say. "We will carry him to bed and seek a doctor's care. Then I will go to the temple and pray to Sea Father and Sky Mother. All other business for the council will have to wait. Including asking who is the next chief, until we know if we need one." Numbly, Threia stood and motioned to some of the warriors who had come with her tonight. What am I doing? she wondered. What will happen now if father lives, or if he dies?

* * * * *

Spoiler: notes on the lore (click to show/hide)

* I'll try not to write quite that much every time, but I make no promises if the muse strikes.

* At the moment I leave off, Forne Kio is still alive and still titular chief of the Carazan. Exactly how long that lasts is deliberately left undetermined in this post. He is likely to be incapacitated to at least some degree and I don't immediately remember how long between turns so he might not survive a lengthy convalescence: I don't see any healing or medicine in our techs.

* Threia Solamae Forne will assume duties as acting chief, though her personal claim is very weak Ithian will find it hard to fight openly so long as Aranar lends his priestly faction support. (It's she who gives the actual tribe orders below.)

* Carazan naming custom is Name + Patronym/Matronym, so
Forne Kio = Forne, son of Kio
Aranar Forne = Aranar, son of Forne
Threia Solamae = Threia, daughter of Solamae

The Patronym is provided by a woman's husband at the time of birth (or shortly thereafter if she was unwed). In the case of remarriage and blended families young children may change – everyone just adapts what they call them – but age ~10+ probably will not.

* Carazan marriage customs allow polgyny up to two. Living off the sea has an inherent level of danger and a certain number of fishermen simply won't make it home every year. Forne, for instance, is already fairly lucky to survive a shark attack and not bleed out afterward. However Solamae's story demonstrates that being a woman on land is no easy thing either (even more so with women joining the military units – to date, limited to local patrols and rarely home village defense, but ...)  and 1:2 might be nearer the demographics, yet is no more a correct ratio than 1:1. To compensate it's expected that men do not take a second wife until their original household is well established.

Forne's children have three different mothers. Aranar, the oldest, is by his first wife (deceased a few years ago). Threia's mother Solamae was his second wife, and pretty much broke his heart when she died. Ithian is his son after marrying a third woman (living) who was herself a widow with previous children.

* In marriage proposals, women ask the men. It's not unknown to happen by presenting an eligible man (limit of 2 wives, remember) with a newborn baby and saying, in effect, "S/He's yours." The man so 'accused' has the right to reject or question the circumstances. If the question is not settled quickly both parties are dragged before the Council for punitively lengthy and embarrassing questioning. The Council then makes a binding determination. Usually, though, the man's answer is known well before any public, formal announcement. And of course she doesn't have to wait for a child.

Any children following after a marriage are de jure the husband's.

That Threia both has a son (age 4) and remains unmarried is nearly unheard of, unless a terribly unlucky woman is rejected multiple times. Threia is apparently unique in that she never asked anyone. This gives her an 'instant claim' to play, though hard to prove if disputed, and now that her fortune is on the rise it will probably come up in the story one way or another.

* It is an unspoken social agreement to tolerate mild levels of infidelity so long as the parties are truly discreet. (Being too exposed may still lead to big trouble.) As a corollary, it is considered gauche and possibly even slanderous to do something like count pregnancy months out loud in a context where action would need to be taken.

So far as I know all three of Forne's children discussed – plus he has at least one more adult daughter by his first wife (he lives in this daughter's household) – are his actual children.

* None of these customs are intended to be set in stone. The very notion of heritable nobility is no more than two generations old for the Carazan and haphazardly applied, a product of lives changing as the tribe really settles down. Forne Kio's succession is going to set new precedents one way or another.

The Carazan send bands (50 each) of scouts to the northwest and southwest, and also by sea to the east. They will be instructed especially to make contact with other tribes or nomads and inquire about medicines that might help Forne's condition. (Threia is too distraught to min-max our turn with research or building.)

(Edited late to retcon a few naming details that I changed as the story progressed.)

[Lord_lemonpie]

Lovely writing everyone! I love it that you all put a lot of effort in this. Some OOC replies to some of you before I update:

Spoiler: To Glass (click to show/hide)

Tribes will have to choose between diverting their resources to construction or research, so you'll have to choose between building the nets or researching.

Spoiler: To Mightymushroom (click to show/hide)

* I'll try not to write quite that much every time, but I make no promises if the muse strikes.

By all means, do! I love the writing, and it gets your tribes more fleshed out.

One question: How will naming work for Threia's son? Will his surname be Threia, after his single mom, Forne, after his grandfather, or named after the childs (supposed) father? Asking for family tree labeling purposes

Feel free to read any of these, as they're not secrets, just comments directed to individual players. If there's ever any secrets, I'll be PMing you. You can of course also PM me for your secret plots, if you feel the plot is grave enough to want to avoid metagaming.

Also updated the second post with all known tribes and their heraldry, as well as a short description.

[mightymushroom]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

One question: How will naming work for Threia's son? Will his surname be Threia, after his single mom, Forne, after his grandfather, or named after the childs (supposed) father? Asking for family tree labeling purposes

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

As he has no acknowledged father, his (as yet unknown) name would simply be Name, thus instantly disclosing his unusual status. If Threia does marry, it's very likely he will pick up that man's name, something that happens frequently with children of blended families, depending on age and how 'attached' to their old name they are. As noted, the relative importance of heritability and thus tracing lineage is still somewhat new in my tribe. If you're living with/near your close kin, you already know who they are. And if you're not, why do you care?

P.S. In case it's not clear, I imagine Threia being rather young (probably mid-20's), just not as bad as Ithian (~18). This is one of the points against her as she tries to keep things running. Aranar is quite a bit older and settled (late 30's, going off his father's age).

[Glass]

Spoiler: To Glass (click to show/hide)

Tribes will have to choose between diverting their resources to construction or research, so you'll have to choose between building the nets or researching.

Ah, sorry, I hadn’t realized that. I’ll edit it.

[Lord_lemonpie]

The Reach

The ceremony is quite quiet and sober. After a minor dowry is paid to Frihnya's Father, the priest of Cu unites you in holy matrimony. Altar boys wrap the two of you in a sheet of spider silk together, as is custom. The only oddity is that Frihnya and her family refer to Cu as Segdoress, though you attribute this to a difference in language. After consummating the marriage, the two of you head out, and celebrate for a week. The tribe is in ecstasy, and this is sure to bolster morale and support.

Two weeks later, Friht, Frihnya's father, sends a 80 soldiers to your settlement. They are to protect the bride and groom.

Congratulations! You have diplomatically annexed the minor Frihtsfolk tribe!

Your scouts take varied times to return. Some return in days. Others take weeks or even months. Many bring gifts from family-groups, nomads, and minor settlements, yet none have managed to secure a trade deal. The gifts are not incredibly valuable, but enough to recover the costs of the dowry and celebrations. One group returns with incredible stories of men who rode great hooved beasts and were unmatched in their skill with the bow. They have brought one of those living beasts as a gift. Another group still has not returned.

This group, in question, is being escorted through a Plefir settlement, shivering in the crisp spring air. Guards bearing weapons made of odd rock stand poised at the doors of an especially large hut. As they open the doors, an important man waits on the other side

You have contacted the Plefir and the Lycians.

Your tailors have found ways to use spider silk to create a durable silk armor. Though it will do nothing to stop the blunt force of a club or axe, it does reduce the impact of arrows, slings and javelins.
The Silk armor technology has been discovered.

Leader: Chieftain Arkiston (35) (x Frihnya Frihtsdaughter)
Wealth: 17
Army: 600
Resources: Cliff Silk (3)
Research: Spinning (Silk), Weaving, Silk Armor
Buildings: Basic Temple of Cu
Natural Features: Spider Cliffs (1 Cliff Silk/turn)

Spoiler: Research and Building (click to show/hide)

Researchable Technologies:
Dyeing

Buildable Buildings:
Proper Temple of Cu (4 Wealth)
Armor Tailor (2 Wealth)

Encounter with the Plefir will be RP'd between the two of you.



The Keepers of Nowhere

You leave Nowhere Prime with a small entourage of followers, most of them soldiers. The journey in your long canoes is arduous, yet after some days you arrive. The entire settlement is in ashes, and the charred bodies of your subjects are impaled on crude wooden stakes. As you are about to get ashore, you are hailed with a rain of javelins. The attackers remain unseen in the bushes, but you decide to back off, and go down the coast, to a fishing hovel. The old man inhabiting it speaks of savages to the north, laying claim to the beaches of Ata'una.

You have encountered the Azan Amber tribe.

Your researchers have found more ways to preserve food, enhancing its value.

Leader: Octavian Atlantis (44)
Wealth: 9
Army: 630
Resources: Great Turtle (1), Jellyfish (4)
Research: Basic Turtle Guiding, Canooing, Cooking II
Buildings: Turtle Village (8x)
Natural Features: Jellyfish Pools (1 Jellyfish/turn)

Spoiler: Research and Building (click to show/hide)

Researchable Technologies:
-

Buildable Buildings:
Jellyfish Nets (2 Wealth)
Food Market (7 Wealth)

The Carazan

Scouts sent to the northwest only encounter family groups and dense forests on their three month journey. A sage of one of the family groups has gifted your men a bushel of dried herbs, to be burned next to your father, as priests chant hymns.

The scouts off to the southeast encounter an oddity. Villages atop drifting isles in the sea. On closer inspection, these islands turn out to be humongous turtles. Another naval tribe is located in this region. Your men have decided to call them the Tornegari, the turtle-sailors in your own language. An old woman has given your men a bushel of dried white algae, demonstrating through gestures that it is to be put in a warm bath with the ill person.

The sailors to the east have a less peaceful encounter. Grey-skinned folk speaking a horrid guttural language, describing themselves as the Nach'tleri control the seas and islands, flying banners with crudely painted skulls on them. They gesture you that their priests have heard of you in their visions. They give your scouts a dagger, which they demonstrate is poisoned after testing it on one of their slaves, to kill the weak leader and usurp his throne.

Three months later, the parties return, each with their gifts. Your father's condition has worsened, weighing no more than fourty kilograms and having trouble breathing.

You have contacted the Keepers of Nowhere and the Nach'tleri

Leader: Forne Kio (58) (regn. Threia Forne)
Wealth: 11
Army: 550
Resources: Tullyfish (4), Medicinal herbs (1)
Research: Sailing, Navigation
Buildings: Basic Temple to the Pantheon
Natural Features: Tullyfish Shoals (1 Tullyfish/Turn)

Spoiler: Research and Building (click to show/hide)

Researchable Technologies:
-

Buildable Buildings:
Fishing Ships (3 Wealth)

Plefir

Your miners start to take a closer look at the rocks they mine. In doing so, they learn a lot about the rock around them. In your Iron mine, a Labradorite deposit was discovered and mined out.

Your scouts bring a variety of news from the outside world. Some of the family groups around you have taken a liking to the Plefir pantheon, and adopted your gods, often adding several of their own. To the north, a group of scouts describes a terrifying sight. Men riding great beasts of war, carrying fierce bows. They encircled the party, but did not fire a single shot. The message was clear: leave my lands alone. They returned afterwards. To the west, a tribe of moon-worshipers was discovered.

Additionally, a group of emissaries from a foreign nation has arrived. They wear clothes similar to the silk seen before, but this group is definitely sent by an entity, as opposed to a single traveler.

You have contacted the Lycians, The Reach and the Thargovians.

Leader: Namif (23)
Wealth: 6
Army: 850
Resources: Iron (2), Labradorite (1)
Research: Mining, Smelting, Prospecting
Buildings: Simple Barracks
Natural Features: Iron Mountains (1 Iron/turn)

Spoiler: Research and Building (click to show/hide)

Researchable Technologies:
-

Buildable Buildings:
Smithy (4 Wealth)

Llychlyn

The sacrifice is made, to the dismay of some clans. Yet each obeys, and brings their share. The air is ripe with the burning of deer-carcasses that night, and the burnt antlers are crafted into sacred figurines and flutes. The next morning, you throw up. The mornings after, as well. The midwife determines you have become pregnant, even though you have not had sexual relationships for over a year.

Trapping has proven hugely successful. However, some animals are trapped alive and well. Your subjects have captured a significant amount of live reindeer, and given them to you.

An emissary from a southern tribe arrives just as the reindeer are brought in. He offers to buy them for a variety of gemstones, furs and lumber, worth 3 wealth.

You have contacted the Durmonians

Leader: Ariella Cadigan (31)
Wealth: 10
Army: 735
Resources: Flax (5), Badger Furs (1), Live Wild Reindeer (1)
Research: Spinning (Cloth), Advanced Archery, Trapping
Buildings: Fanw Runestones
Natural Features: Flax Valley (1 Flax/turn)

Spoiler: Research and Building (click to show/hide)

Researchable Technologies:
-

Buildable Buildings:
Hunter's Cabin (3 Wealth, 10 Army)

Made some changes to the heraldry. The few extra pixels on the shields might not look like a lot, but they allow me a lot more creativity.

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

[Glass]

They hide in the bushes; we will scour the shadows they hide in with flames. Coat the harpoons with fat and dried seaweed, and set them aflame, to remove their cover. Gather what shields we have - likely mostly bone and driftwood - to defend from their weapons. Once we know their positions, we will attack them directly.
However, should an enemy be disabled, I would rather we capture them as opposed to kill them. It may be useful.

For construction, build some jellyfish nets.


Also, if one of the other tribes contacts us, does that mean we’ve contacted them, or did they meet a different section of our tribe?