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[Naturegirl1999]

Let's toss a blue rock tired to a fire stick down the hole.

+1
I don’t see anything that can go wrong with multiple experiments

[King Zultan]

Let's toss a blue rock tired to a fire stick down the hole.

+1
I don’t see anything that can go wrong with multiple experiments

+1

[TankKit]

Lets redo a previous experiment and throw several light sticks down the hole and watch them to see where they go, but this time in the presence of several of our shamans.

(?VS?)You throw a few light-sticks down the hole while some shamans watch. You don't actually notice anything odd this time, and it takes a while for you to go through all of the light-sticks. The light sticks fall down the hole - no rising darkness, no suddenly changing position and no feeling that you're forgetting something. The lights still seem to disappear eventually, but much further down. Eventually you've gotten to your last light and you have an interesting idea. The thunder-rock spirits seem to be angered by great force, so you should be able to tell how deep the hole goes by tying one of them to a light-stick. You're confident that the hole is deep enough it won't affect you, so you throw the thunder-rock dow-

You alone are awake in the cave. The shamans are still here, but each is on the ground, sleeping along side the entire rest of the tribe. You feel like some things look different, but you know that's incorrect. Your experiment with the thunder-rock was inconclusive, as you neither saw nor heard any sign of it hitting anything. Since then you have relaxed a little bit, allowing your people to do more relaxing things for a few moon-turns, and it is now a few moon turns into winter.

What are you going to do? There are no problems, everything is fine and you are relaxed as there is no need to worry about anything at all ever. You should continue making things for your people during winter, as that is the deal you made with them.

[Superdorf]

A roar and a screech echo separately from deep within the hole.

Oh dear.

We don't actually remember anything going wrong down there... focus on our weave-work. Play around with improving the design while we're at it-- we are a creature of experiment.

[Naturegirl1999]

A roar and a screech echo separately from deep within the hole.

Oh dear.

We don't actually remember anything going wrong down there... focus on our weave-work. Play around with improving the design while we're at it-- we are a creature of experiment.

This links to the most recent post, there is nothing about a roar or screech there

[Superdorf]

Select the text in that post for copying. You'll see it.

[Naturegirl1999]

I. Selected for copying and quoted the post, where is it?
+1 to improving our sleeping mat designs

[Atomic Chicken]

Well, that was mildly disturbing.

Have Ealrad direct the production of a couple more Thwippers. Meanwhile, work on crafting enough simple rock-throwers to arm a substantial number of our warriors, and begin training them to hit distant targets (with regular rocks, for now).

Also, new thunder-rock experiment:

Obtain a long stick, soak it in river-water, and tie a thunder-rock to its far end. Return to the site of the fire ritual and plant a light-stick into the earth. Deliver the thunder-rock towards the flame, standing as far back as permitted by the long stick. Observe at which point the fire begins to change as the thunder-rock approaches; do the two vessels need to touch for the spirits to initiate their combat, or do they perhaps aggress preemptively? How do the fire spirits behave with the rock at their border, as opposed to the central position held in the last experiment? Does the battle end if the thunder-rock is hastily withdrawn?

[mightymushroom]

I seem to have arrived too late to read about anything going wrong, much less remember it. But I do notice that whatever mystery lies in the hole, it seems less willing to engage multiple people. The whispers and the darkness don't bother us unless a person is alone. (Or mightily provoked? Is that a thing? I forget . . . ) Presumably then, we ought to explore the depths as a group, but I'm not sure our tribe is ready for that yet. I'm going to think about it for a while longer.

focus on our weave-work. Play around with improving the design while we're at it-- we are a creature of experiment.[/b]

+1 I was just thinking about replacing any worn out mats and blankets. (I haven't forgotten you, baskets.)

Have Ealrad direct the production of a couple more Thwippers. Meanwhile, work on crafting enough simple rock-throwers to arm a substantial number of our warriors, and begin training them to hit distant targets (with regular rocks, for now).

+1 to crafting, -0.5 to training. Make sure it is volunteers only. We kinda promised time off. Ealrad is an obvious exception: as the apparent heir designate he'll have to get used to working all winter. Social stratification, ho!


I do have my own question about thunder rocks. Having learned that the stone spirits are enemies of Fire, perhaps we can learn their reactions to other elements. Start with water, in various modes of activity: still, flowing, and raining. This should be interesting, as water is also an enemy of fire.

Meanwhile show our respect for the stone weakened in the fire experiment mistake by returning it to rest in the cave from where it came. Give it a 'burial' of sorts. Meta-me wonders if this will recharge the stone (because the stones are somehow linked to the mysterious depths ??), but even if it does the results are probably too slow to be seen in the span of one update.

[Naturegirl1999]

focus on our weave-work. Play around with improving the design while we're at it-- we are a creature of experiment.[/b]

+1 I was just thinking about replacing any worn out mats and blankets. (I haven't forgotten you, baskets.)

+1

Have Ealrad direct the production of a couple more Thwippers. Meanwhile, work on crafting enough simple rock-throwers to arm a substantial number of our warriors, and begin training them to hit distant targets (with regular rocks, for now).

+1 to crafting, -0.5 to training. Make sure it is volunteers only. We kinda promised time off. Ealrad is an obvious exception: as the apparent heir designate he'll have to get used to working all winter. Social stratification, ho!

+1 to crafting and voluntary training

I do have my own question about thunder rocks. Having learned that the stone spirits are enemies of Fire, perhaps we can learn their reactions to other elements. Start with water, in various modes of activity: still, flowing, and raining. This should be interesting, as water is also an enemy of fire.

Meanwhile show our respect for the stone weakened in the fire experiment mistake by returning it to rest in the cave from where it came. Give it a 'burial' of sorts. Meta-me wonders if this will recharge the stone (because the stones are somehow linked to the mysterious depths ??), but even if it does the results are probably too slow to be seen in the span of one update.

+1

[helmacon]

Hmm

So, the rock was actually just to protect the stick as it fell, so we could see it get to the bottom, plus the explosion would have been more visible I assumed. Here is what I think happened; They were drawn to our light sticks, to snuff them out and make us forget, but with a blue rock traveling with force (gravity/freefall), the stick cannot be stopped without activating the rock, meaning they grabbed it and the rock exploded on them.

[King Zultan]

focus on our weave-work. Play around with improving the design while we're at it-- we are a creature of experiment.[/b]

+1 I was just thinking about replacing any worn out mats and blankets. (I haven't forgotten you, baskets.)

+1

Have Ealrad direct the production of a couple more Thwippers. Meanwhile, work on crafting enough simple rock-throwers to arm a substantial number of our warriors, and begin training them to hit distant targets (with regular rocks, for now).

+1 to crafting, -0.5 to training. Make sure it is volunteers only. We kinda promised time off. Ealrad is an obvious exception: as the apparent heir designate he'll have to get used to working all winter. Social stratification, ho!

+1 to crafting and voluntary training

I do have my own question about thunder rocks. Having learned that the stone spirits are enemies of Fire, perhaps we can learn their reactions to other elements. Start with water, in various modes of activity: still, flowing, and raining. This should be interesting, as water is also an enemy of fire.

Meanwhile show our respect for the stone weakened in the fire experiment mistake by returning it to rest in the cave from where it came. Give it a 'burial' of sorts. Meta-me wonders if this will recharge the stone (because the stones are somehow linked to the mysterious depths ??), but even if it does the results are probably too slow to be seen in the span of one update.

+1

+1

[TankKit]

Watered thunder-rock experiment 1 Thunder-rock in water experiment 2 Respect thunder-rock by returning it 3

Focus on our weave-work. Play around with improving the design while we're at it-- we are a creature of experiment.

(4)You're able to improve both types of sleeping mat a fair amount. Using smaller fibres means that mats take longer to make, but it also means that they're not as bumpy. You've also figured out how to reduce the bumps in general by making sure the fibres are connected quite tightly, but not too tightly, something that also takes longer for a better result. You spend the rest of your winter fulfilling your duty to the tribe by improving the sleeping mat designs and, by the end of the winter, you've given a few of these finished newer designs to some of the greatest contributors to the tribe, including Ealrad. During the grievances section of the winter you also hear some people wondering if you could make proper clothing out of the fibres, like the skins a few members of your tribe wear. Apparently this winter was particularly cold for some reason.

You also notice that the whispers go completely unmentioned for the entire winter. In a way, that's almost weirder than the whispers actually being there. You wonder why no one can hear them now...

(3)When winter is over, you hold another seasonal feast. People seem to enjoy the seasonal feast at the transition from winter to summer a lot more than they like the other feasts, so you've begun focusing your efforts on the feast people like instead. This time people seem more receptive to the idea and a few people do even seem to enjoy the various exciting things they can do, like trying out their aim with a Thwipper or a rock-thrower, but many people were still cautious to take part in the festivities. All in all it did better than the previous feasts, but you're pretty confident that it will still take some time for your people to get used to being active for fun.

Have Ealrad direct the production of a couple more Thwippers. Meanwhile, work on crafting enough simple rock-throwers to arm a substantial number of our warriors, and begin training them to hit distant targets (with regular rocks, for now).

(5)Speaking of the feast, one of the most popular activities was thwipping. To summarise, two or more people were given a Thwipper and were then given various different tasks, from seeing who could thwip a small-spear the furthest to thwipping as many small-spears in as short a time as possible. While only a few people expressed interest in them before the feast, many people enjoyed this and have decided they want to train with the Thwippers to do better at the next feast, giving you the perfect opportunity to train your people with these new weapons! Since he was the one who invented the Thwipper, you've placed Ealrad in charge of Thwipper production and have had one particularly skilled man begin training your people in Thwipper use.

Meanwhile, you personally begin directing rock-thrower production. While you definitely see the usefulness of Thwippers as fulfilling your previous requirements, rock-throwers are able to shatter bones and even rocks if flung hard enough. While training people in the use of the rock-throwers, you also find that there a few different ways of using the rock-throwers. Other than simply whirling it around your head or at your side, a few people try whirling it in specific patterns. While these patterns are generally just attempts at showing off and nearly all fail, a few people discover that they have an easier time whirling it around in a certain way. You've also realised that another difference between the Thwipper and the rock-thrower is that the rock-thrower requires more strength and movement and is just not very stealthy in general while the Thwipper is simple to use and near instantly looses a small-spear at it's target. You have a feeling that both of these weapons will be important, just in different ways. Perhaps the Thwipper is better of as a surprise weapon while the rock-thrower will be good as... well, a weapon.

Having learned that the stone spirits are enemies of Fire, perhaps we can learn their reactions to other elements. Start with water, in various modes of activity: still, flowing, and raining. This should be interesting, as water is also an enemy of fire.
Meanwhile show our respect for the stone weakened in the fire mistake by returning it to rest in the cave from where it came. Give it a 'burial' of sorts.

Obtain a long stick, soak it in river-water, and tie a thunder-rock to its far end. Return to the site of the fire ritual and plant a light-stick into the earth. Deliver the thunder-rock towards the flame, standing as far back as permitted by the long stick. Observe at which point the fire begins to change as the thunder-rock approaches; do the two vessels need to touch for the spirits to initiate their combat, or do they perhaps aggress preemptively? How do the fire spirits behave with the rock at their border, as opposed to the central position held in the last experiment? Does the battle end if the thunder-rock is hastily withdrawn?

(5)Having figured out the thunder-rock response to fire, you decide to further experiment with it. You search around and, eventually, find a very long stick that's able to hold the weight of the thunder-rock at it's end without breaking, though it does bend a bit. You return to the rather charred sight of the first experiment and try to plant a light-stick into the rock, only to realise that's not going to work. You search around and eventually find a little bit of a crack which you're just about able to jam the light-stick into and walk as far away as the long stick will let you. With the light-stick's fight lit, you slowly move the thunder-rock towards the fire. The reaction begins when the edge of the flame touches the thunder-rock, at which point the flame begins rolling away and then back again in a strange rippling motion. You hold the stick still and watch as the fire begins to ripple more and more violently despite you holding the rock still, until it eventually ripples too far away and simply ceases to exist. You're pretty sure this is the whole force thing coming into play, as the fire spirits hit the thunder rock more violently each time it returned but kept getting repulsed by the spirits in the thunder-rock.

You then hold the stick in the nearby stream's water. Naturally it won't do anything, because it is impossible for a spirit to be aligned against opposite spirits, but it's good to test an-

The water violently explodes away from the rock and you fall over backwards, surprised. The thunder-rock topples to the ground next to you and everything around you is absolutely drenched in water, including you. However ,you don't care about that, and are instead focused entirely on the rock lying next to you because of the significance of what it just did. According to the shamans, the spirit world is made up of opposites and neutrals - fire against water, heat against cold, predator against prey, these are all examples of oppositely aligned spirits. The neutral spirits are simply spirits that don't necessarily have an opposite except in certain conditions, with prosperity, humans and air being good examples of neutral spirits. However, it is supposed to be impossible for any spirit to be aligned against all other types of spirits. And yet, the thunder-rock spirits have reacted violently to everything that touches them based on force, seemingly disregarding spiritual alignments. But, that disregards the shaman teachings...

Intelligent+Narrow-Minded Activation: Then the realisation strikes you: There is only one possible solution to this conundrum. There are two main rules in the teachings of the shaman. Firstly, most spirits have an opposite. Secondly, neutral spirits are the exception. All else is based around these two core beliefs... but the latter is wrong. It was created because there simply wasn't any known opposite to neutrality, because there had never been an example that could prove the second rule wrong. It has been a source of argument for so much time, but you have now discovered the truth. The second rule is wrong, and you have the thunder-rocks as proof! They are the opposite to neutrality - they are violent to all regardless of the circumstances, slowly hurting and then killing all that touches it regardless of spirits.

You return the thunder-rock to it's previous resting place later that day. You don't seen an effect yet, but it's time for the experimentation thunder-rock spirits to rest anyway. They've served you well.

What are you going to do? It is mid-spring and there is one issue of immediate importance: You have discovered proof that there is an opposite to neutral spirits. You have discovered chaos spirits.

[King Zultan]

We should probably tell the shamans about the chaos spirits, and demonstrate what the thunder rocks do to water to prove what we're talking about.

[mightymushroom]

 
Oh wow, the implications are mind blowing.

The thunder rocks are like the special gift of our tribe, our knowledge of them and the spirits they contain is one of the core things that make us different from all other tribes.

So are we meant to be Avatars of Chaos spirits, becoming like them in our opposition to all the world?

Are we Guardians of Chaos, meant to protect the secrets of the stones from all who would abuse their power?

Are we Keepers of Chaos, dedicated to placating the spirits of the thunder stones and to preserving the world abroad from their wrath?

Is it a one time choice?

Is there even such a thing as destiny, or have we discovered that all is Chaos in the end?

We should probably tell the shamans about the chaos spirits, and demonstrate what the thunder rocks do to water to prove what we're talking about.

Definitely we have to talk through these discoveries with the shamans. We should try to come to a new agreement on the fundamental teachings of our tribe, lest we be torn apart by division and misunderstanding.

Unless . . .  of course . . . you know . . . we didn't see it personally but we have good reason to believe that the chaos spirits oppose even their own kind. Yikes.