Bells chiming
The gods awoke.
The
Shattered Statue saw little had happened during their slumber. He was still where he had been an age ago. However, he
did feel his awareness greater than before, as if he could see and feel the land in which his human followers (who this time, remained loyal) had. He saw them as before...nomadic creatures that wandered in and out of his realm, but always returning with the season. He saw them put up their huts and tents, hunting or gathering, and sometimes even offering tribute to himself (herself?)- with a great deal of fear. A few, mainly the elderly, would sometimes visit the stone gardens that she (he?) had made some time ago, seemingly in mourning. Overall however, it seemed like his followers had so far continued to develop and grow, although certainly not with the help of their...master. From recalling the memories of the land, the Statue knew that visitors had come and gone, raiding and trading as humans were prone to do. Some came in the name of the lugal ", She who Ruled in the name of the Winds" and others came with the words of "Peace and Unity". There had even been a whale from the distant mountains who had attacked the tribe some time ago, taking captives for some unknown purpose.
Some of the tribe had taken to settling upon the riverbanks and will form their own tribe in time. A few daring fools have even experimented with rafts that the river people use to collect goods from the marshes. Some have even traded or otherwise acquired canoes from the tribes across the riverbank, who supposedly came up with them not long ago.
1 Worship [1DP] (River People) added.Fu awoke to great splendour, near immediately greeted by a youth who's face was painted green. He bowed and grovelled to Fu, telling you that the
lugal Gemegishkirihallat had forseen your awakening. Indeed, your exact place of awakening. Fu looked around and found that she was
inside. It seemed that her miko's people had learnt how to build grand edifices. Braziers of carefully cut and
polished stone surrounded Fu; four in total around a dais, upon which rested a stone slab, upon which you had awoken. Four green stones were inlaid on the corners of the altar.
The boy tells Fu that your people await outside, to greet Fu in jubilation. He tells Fu that the lugal had him birthed solely to recite to Fu what has happened in the time since Fu's last awakening. And so he does, in an interesting form of speech, making pleasant sounds and tones. Perhaps some would call it poetry. In summary, Gemegishkirihallat had used her immortality and god-given power to found a whole civilisation.
According to the boy's poetry, Gemegishkirihallat has done many deeds:
>consolidated her rule over the nearby tribes and clans. Either exterminating them or forcing them to obey. Many now recognise her as the lugal. While many were left to continue their lives and give tribute, others were forced to gather in what the lugal called 'villages'. Supposedly, so that they would be easier to rule. Some of these villages gather food, others gather stone. Some are upon the riverbanks, others in the plains.
>has built a great palace around the Whispering Stones. She now holds 'court' there, spending most of her time absorbing the Stones' wisdom. She guards them jealously, only allowing the chosen few to come near them. Only a handful of her children are even allowed in the room. Around this palace are a collection of houses built of wood, clay, mud and reed. Around 100 families now live here. Either ordered to live there or otherwise attracted.
>Perhaps due to her superhuman intellect, Gemegishkirihallat has figured out the secrets of Many Things. She has personally discovered how to harden clay in a kiln, create bows, discovered green paint, how to make music from goat intestines, how to create basic plant textiles, make bread out of grain, encourage the growth of certain plants and even making the nearby bovines placid and docile. The magical mobile plant of the east, Lightroot, is a favourite of the lugal and now grows freely on the 'fields' of both the river and plain villages. Many of her villagers now perform the same methods once devised by Gemegishkirihallat. Some have even taken to call her "The Teacher of Secrets."
>Due to the spread of Lightroot, food is not actually a concern for many people. Food is more of a luxury good, used for pleasure and entertainment.
>Founded a proper priesthood. Disciples and servitors of the lugal, mikos, ensure that her rule is respected and maintained. They also act as village priests, each being in charge of the worship of Fu, as well as the veneration of spirits. They each are rulers of a village or otherwise travel the lands in order to ensure her demands are met. Some who are particularly blessed are able to cast simpler forms of the First Miko's wind magicks. Those who do are sometimes called gale lords, as they fly between places. Often wearing aerodynamic clothes with a great plumage of feathers, these are the eyes and ears of the lugal, and many are often sent to scout around the rest of Err- even beyond the river...and the cursed island upstream.
>Those who are found weak or the poor are supported by the rest. This even applies between villages, with those who cannot support themselves being donated food and other goods from the other villages.
>Has promulgated the worship of Fu as the Benovelent Mother of Magic and Order. A spirit of august respect, the lugal has ordained that she is to be venerated through regular sacrifice and festivals.
>Made compact with several spirits. Indeed, many now freely swirl in and around the Whispering Stones, quietly advising Gemegishkirihallat in her rule. Some have been enslaved by the lugal, others work with the lugal of their own accord.
>The lugal has come into conflict with the blood cultists of the north, lead by the serpent-devourer Juaar. These men of the north rode horses, being far too quick for even the mikos to pursue. The lugal had been...unable to break the serpent's will and has not of yet been able to subdue it or its followers.
Juuar, it seemed, was a creation of an entity called Guar, a spirit of sorts that ruled over the northern plains. Indeed, Fu could feel some sort of being awaken to the north, much like herself.
2 Worship [2 Essence] (River Palace Culture) added. (2 autoconsumed for Monument maintenance)
Myth of Godhood (Magic, Order, Winds) attained.Basderieen awoke to see his Basdreenin alive and well...and had continued to worship him as their protector-by-force. In the generations since their change, the Basdreenin had continued their lives as they had before as hunter-gatherers. Oft-times, they camped by the oasis, which they had come to call the 'Badger-Faced Spirit's Home'. Indeed, they have begun to associate Basdreenin with water, along with badgers. Youth and old alike oft hear the myth of the badger tribe, hearing of Basderieen's violent changes.
Looking over the memory of the land, Basderieen saw little beyond the passing of usual life. The oasis' water, though not inducing a change in climate, did attract the attention of many animals and even some plants; palms, figs, apricots and other desert plants now grow along the oasis' banks. Water lilies and other aquatic plants (or plant-like organisms) now grow over much of the water surface. The local eels are much beloved by the local Basdreenin and are oft devoured each day. Wandering packs of lions and families of desert antelope or zebra use the oasis occasionally before re-entering the desert. Every few months however, humans wearing luminous shining cloths and covering their faces with metal veils, do visit the oasis. Coming from the east, they seem to survey the land each time they come; they are never armed. They seem to not need it, seemingly being able to command plants and arthropods to do their bidding.
1 Worship [1DP] (Badger Tribe)Metalhand did awake to see that the people had changed and improved, truly settling down by the oasis and establishing proper homesteads...seemingly being influenced by a wiseman from the east, an immortal human named Asteriskasteriskasterisk. Through his guidance, the people of the oasis had been taught to how to create walls, roofs and even doors- a task greatly aided by the tools and knowledge offered by Metalhand generations before. The Tools of the Apprentice, now having been passed from father to son for three generations, were used to make many of these. Malkuno is the current bearer of the tools and will likely pass the tools to his son when his time comes.
With things as they are, the humans of the oasis now worship a pantheon of spirits. Metalhand is seen as the man of the old place, the maker of things and patron of crafting. Another, Du-Ur is worshiped as the lord of knowledge, rulers and family heads. It seems that Asteriskasteriskasterisk had convinced many of the oasis that his 'great spirit' was one of great power and one who COULD show his strength- as seen by Asteriskasteriskasterisk's physical strength and ability to carve doors into the mountains.
As for Stoneye, who is currently perched in front of Metalhand's workshop, he has performed his duties. Often visiting the humans and telling tale of Metalhand, he also explores farther afield. To the northeast, he warns, is a great danger- a spirit who's mind is strong enough to warp those who come too near. North to the mountains, a mountain is bleeding and has continued to bleed for decades. A tribe of landwhales inhabits its slopes. To the east, the river people continue their feuding and rutting. A plant called lightroot is also beginning to grow in the oasis; it is said that some people around them no longer feel the need to eat. Most people don't know what to think about this. He also reports that he's successfully raised 53 chicks.
1 Worship [1CP] (Door-Hammer Tribe)Shelldon awoke and saw little in terms of change. Although, the pygmies now had canoes, slightly better tools and now had stilt-homes along the river banks. Aea greeted Shelldon as he awoke, saying that she had done as the crab asked, but that they had no enemies to sacrifice to the crab. The local crabs had been protected, and indeed, made sacred. The mating seasons of the various crabs of the area were holy periods to the Crab Tribe, ever fearful of Shelldon's wrath should his supposed children be harmed.
Shelldon: 1 Worship [1CP] (Crab Tribe) added
Myth of Crabfather attained.Du-Ur awoke, and while still on the peak, felt its consciousness
greatly expanded out in the west, far off to the distance. Even though it had never been there, it felt connected to the land and knew of what had occurred. Decades before, Asteriskasteriskasterisk had went west in search of more fertile lands where his flock wouldn't die to starvation and saber scorpion predatory. The first oasis he found was ruled by a spirit that made him fearful, so he went farther, eventually reaching a smaller one. Though he sensed another spirit of power here, he felt that this one was weaker than the other and thus, settled in to watch how life was in these parts. After some decades, he began his mission, teaching the locals about Du-Ur and the benefits of permanent housing. That the locals had surprisingly good crafting tools was a surprise, but not unwelcome. With their aid, he was able to quickly (relatively, anyway) make homes of stone and lumber. The first of these homes went to the strongmen or strongwomen of each of the clans, and so, he came to be associated with rulers. In turn, so did Du-Ur. As Asteriskasteriskasterisk had spread the word of his great spirit successfully, he had then gone south to the nearby mountains to make doors. Even now, he was thinking on how he could quickly transfer stonework from the southern mountains to the oasis. Currently, his family and some of the tribe helped him every now and then, but this was far too slow.
1 Worship [1CP] (Door-Hammer Tribe)Midan's people continued on doing what they had always done: forcing the lesser tribes to submit. However, many had simply fled into the lowlands or elsewhere in the mountains; after all, the world was a big place. Regardless, the tribe of the volcano continued to grow, if slowly. Even with the reduced size of the whales and the Pillager of the Earth, Midan's flock did not grow greatly. Indeed, Fire-marked spent more and more of his time trying to improve their way of living, rather than expanding his rule. Even now, he had learnt the very basics of agriculture and worked to keep herds of bovine and goat enclosed in valleys- for easier hunting.
Kakkabum did nothing of note and discovers nothing new of note.
Tala awoke to find a realm very much different to the previous one. There were still feuds and raids and bloody murders, but these were limited by the law imposed in generations past.To raid for bride or groom was proper in the right season at the right time. To raid for honour-scars were proper, if nothing else was touched. All other raids were considered unlawful by the lawspeakers, who were somewhat influenced by the immortal Diwata.
Feuds were first to be settled by mediation. If that failed, a blood price would be given, in goods and honour. If that failed, then the feud would continue. However, now a clan could simply disown a feuding member, freeing them of the conflict.
While the laws were not perfect, they were very much considered better than the chaos of the ages past, and this was a narrative much spoken of by the lawspeakers. Those who knowingly broke the Law would find themselves warned, ostracised and finally, given over to Diwata for eternal service. These outlaws had their souls broken and made servants of Diwata, for the greater cause of expanding and regulating the laws of Tala. With this small army, Diwata did earn for herself a measure of respect, establishing a de-facto chiefdom of her own by the banks of the river. From here, she did do much to maintain the justice of the law, as well as its spirit. Often communicating with the spirits, she sought harmony with the land and the people. Many visitors to her land would however, speak of the unsettling number of white-eyed humans and animals, seemingly without soul or mind. These, Diwata proclaimed, had broken the laws too many times and had been made to serve the law as its embodiment.
The lightroot plant-creature had become common in the lands that Tala knew of, and by remembering the memories of the land, had seen it prosper in way. Due to the way these plants worked, many people had simply stopped eating. They just planted lightroot in a place and lived around it. The usefulness of the plant had proven so great that the people of the river, even far beyond the lands of Tala's law, now carried bags of dirt with lightroot planted inside. It was said that the plant had become widely adopted in the lands of the tyrant-queen, the lugal.
Due to all the free time caused by not hunting or gathering for food, many more people spent time crafting or telling tales. Figurines or ochre paintings are now quite common amongst the lawful people, and some are even experimenting with the pottery so favoured in the west.
As for the 'pact', it has had little real effect. Humans seem quite protective of the lighroot and dislike it when animals devour the plant. Indeed, most people of the law seem to dislike herbivores more than predators at this point; Diwata's negotiations with the spirits have seen the predators of the land either die to plague, or otherwise prevented from further predation by her army of souless husks.
1 Worship [1 Essence] (Lawful People)
Myth of Godhood (Law, Lightroot, Teaching)Vulpes Grande awoke. Beside a greater plant density in the area, nothing else had changed. x2.
Sarkyran awoke and was instantly greeted by a throng of people in jubilation, the golem Ortile at the very front. Painted now in many colours and patterns, he looked quite different from before. Amongst the crowd were many tribes and clans. The red-ears, the broken-knee, false-stones, curled-hairs, the exiled clan...all here united for one day in honour over the Lord of Peace and Love. With tears in their eyes, women and men both approached with garlands of not flowers, but worked copper. They gave thanks to Sarkyran, he who had enlightened the people and given them Lord Ortile, who had taught each of their wisemen and wisewomen in the arts of 'Civilisation'. Sarkyran noticed that many now wore not just simple hides, but hides woven together into actual clothing. Some even wore copper bangles or piercings. Others of bone or stone.
Reading the memories of the land, it seemed that Ortile had done exactly as Sarkyran had commanded, teaching the people of the land. Indeed, as people saw the wisdom of Ortile, they too began to honour Sarkyran; for if a lord as noble and wise as Ortile could bow to a greater being, surely this being was worthy of veneration? In that time, Ortile had taught the people of the sowing of crops, pottery, the working of copper, the secret of weaving and even the most basic of pictograms. Explorers from the southern banks of the river had also visited the area, commanding small canoes; the people of the Flint-Truce now used such vehicles as well.
1 Worship [Essence] (Flint-Truce Culture)
Myth of Godhood (Earth, Civilisation, Peace)
Guar awoke and found his people far greater in number...and seemingly far more militant than before. Juuar was there to greet Guar, as well as a handful of tribesmen, all armed and with painted faces. They all kneeled, save for Juuar. The serpent greeted his master and bade him to look around at what had changed in the time since Guar's last awakening. Palisades and even walls of stone had been raised. There were many more huts and tents, with areas set aside for horses, mainly used to transport goods or as food. Many people even rode horses. There was also a clear social distinction within the settlement: those who had power, those who were free and followed the leaders, and a caste of servants and not at all free. Juuar said that while Guar had commanded that those who persist in not following Guar be devoured, Juuar believed that they could be of better use as workers. Unfree, they could be sacrificed as needed and in the mean time work and produce children for the tribe. He termed them thralls. The rest of the people were free, with the greatest warriors or greatest leaders given a privileged position amongst the rest.
Juuar told the entity of life of what had happened in the generations past.
>The settlement had grown and learnt much. By way of trade, interrogation and observance, the secrets of other peoples had been secured.
>The erection of walls, ditches and palisades are however, of Juuar's own devising.
>The people who have converted after Juuar's 'missionary work' have all been told to migrate here, amongst the plains. Water is an issue, however. Or rather, was. The plant known as lightroot is fantastically good at draining the land of water, and has even alleviated the need for food completely; those around them simply do not need to eat anymore. It now grows freely in the plains, after a planting campaign. They grow in great quantities within the settlement as well.
>The people of the south have been united under the leadership of the one who calls themselves a lugal. She is Gemegishkirihallat Spirit-Speaker, she who rules over the many villages. Juuar has personally gone to many of the villages, and while many refused to worship Guar, many were devoured or taken as thralls. In the years past, Juuar has been content to allow his people to raid them for goods and thralls. The lugal seems to be a servant of the spirit Fu, supposedly the goddess of Magic, Order and the Winds
>Juuar has not been able to journey far beyond the Pillar of Life after an attack on his soul. He suspects that it was the lugal herself. Juuar has since been sacrificing to many spirits, in order to hide his soul from the lugal.
TO the south, Guar could feel a strong power, similar to his own awaken. Likely the spirit Fu.
Guar: 4 Essence (Source: Human Blood)
1 Worship [1 Essence] (Plains Horse Culture)
Myth of Godhood (Life, Horses, Blood, Warriors)To the south, Guar felt a strong power awaken. Likely this 'Fu' that had established itself on the river banks.
Author
Topic: Between the Rivers: Gods Adrift [IC] (Read 22731 times)