Exploration V: Borderlands
Long, long ago your people walked out of the desert and onto the lively, comparatively utopian savannah. You went from scraping by for sustenance to thriving in comparative luxury. Now, with living memory of those shifting sands long gone from the Baobabi even before the advent of woodsongs, your people have come to the conclusion that it is time to probe those harsh lands. Led by a Minor Founder
(m1895 +1I), the first real fully prepared expedition left from Great Baobab. An impressive caravan of Pack Wildebeest laden with Way-Finding Pots, Food Pots, and Waterskins strung together were led by a not insignificant number of villagers keen on exploring the edge of their known world.
Supplies were kept stored for the first leg of the trip as the caravan followed and utilized the bounty of the river until they got near the coast. They then headed west and started their exploration of
46-B. There was, quite plainly, very little for the Baobabi here to be excited about. The savannah had a few animals, edible plants, and trees scattered about, but nothing in amounts that could be reliably utilized in any long-term capacity. Even the coast seemed relatively barren, with
Dolphins leaping out of the seas as if to taunt the land-bound Baobabi. The desert, however, called to them. The Baobabi dug their toes into the sand and pushed into the unwelcoming land and were rewarded for their efforts. While their Way-Finding Pots were used up a little quickly in the featureless desert, a
Fumic Vent provided a location to refill their pots and keep from getting lost.
Rattlesnakes were responsible for the deaths of a Wildebeest and a couple unprepared Baobabi, but a lesson was quickly learned and the explorers made sure to avoid the serpents that seemed to jam themselves under any loose rock or isolated tangle of thorny brambles. Settling here would be extremely taxing at present.
Their move south was slightly more fulfilling. A number of small seasonal watering holes within the savannah of
46-C allowed for a healthy population of
White Rhinoceros to live in the area. The
Finger Millet that dominated the grasses of the area provided the rhinos with ample food. Once more, the desert here provided a waypoint for the Baobabi in the form of a
Fumic Vent. While settling this area would be infinitely easier than in the north, the lack of a reliable water source during the drier, hotter months would still increase the effort required to maintain a significant population of Baobabi.
Continuing their trek south into
46-D, the Baobabi were welcomed by a much more lively environment. The savannah in the area was littered with
Acacia Trees which provided the local
Giraffes with plenty of food. The giraffes were not alone though, and were themselves occasionally the prey of the region's most abundant predator,
Painted Dogs. Even the desert brought something to the table for the Baobabi. A
Fumic Vent was once again present, but stood out from the others in a most literal sense. It billowed out of one of a number of
Sandstone Stacks that'd been uncovered by years of winds. The coast also proved to be breeding grounds for
Horseshoe Crabs. Their corpses also littered the beaches and were fed upon by flocks of
Egrets. Settling this area would be costlier than average, but sustainable.
Turning west, the Baobabi finally opted to head deeper into the desert and explored
45-D. Another
Fumic Vent helped guide their way and provide a refill for the Way-Finding Pots. They began to make out the peaks of mountains over the horizon in the distance, but first came across something remarkable: an oasis. A spring of fresh water surrounded by
Reeds and
Coconut Palms gave the explorers a much needed place to shelter from the sun, resupply, and rest. But there was something else here that caught their attention. A few of the coconut palms had been chopped down and arranged around what was easily identified as a used and abandoned fire pit. There were signs that someone else had been here relatively recently - definitely since the Baobabi left the desert at least. This discovery shook the Baobabi - they were not alone. Still, they pressed onward until they reached the base of the mountain range they'd seen as they walked the dunes, but came across nothing of note in the tiny slice of mountain they scouted out. With the oasis in this area it'd be of little to no issue to settle here.
When the Baobabi returned home they were regarded as heroes who braved a hateful land in the name of progress, but none could shake this feeling of looming uncertainty in the face of verifiable life outside of their villages.
Resources Identified:46-BDolphin Pod (Food) Fumic Vent (Magnetofumes)Rattlesnakes? (Rattlesnakes?)46-CWhite Rhinoceros Herd (Food)Finger Millet (Food)Fumic Vent (Magnetofumes)46-DAcacia Growths (Food + Wood)Giraffe Herds (Food)Horseshoe Crabs (Food)Egrets (Food)Fumic Vent (Magnetofumes)Sandstone Stacks (Stone)Painted Dogs? (Painted Dogs?)45-DFumic Vent (Magnetofumes) Reeds (Textiles)Coconut Palms (Food + Wood + Textiles)It is time once more for the Expansion Phase. Remember that this phase is for expanding in the sense of proposing a new settlement location, or you may choose to develop technology to build up your military, society, industry, or culture. You may also declare an "attack" on a zone within or along your borders if you have an identified threat you wish to eliminate.
Improved Stone Tools: Provides durable tools for basic tasks, doubling Wood and Stone Exploitation, requires access to Stone, Wood, Textile.
-Stone Spear: Allows Exploitation of larger beasts for Food, requires access to Stone.
Bolas: Stones bound by rope used to ensnare and capture or cripple prey at range, requires access to Stone and costs 1 Textile in upkeep.
Baobabi Longbow: A composite recurved bow around 175-180cm long. Powerful and relatively silent. A weapon ahead of its time. Requires access to Textile and a Medium+ Animal Resource and costs 1 Wood upkeep.
-Stone Arrows: Stone arrows with wooden shafts and feather fletching. Effective. Requires access to Wood, costs 1 Stone in upkeep.
Primitive Rope: Dried, braided reeds that let the tribe secure and bundle objects. Allows for Wood Exploitation 1 square outside of the civilization's borders, requires access to Textiles.
Primitive Firemaking: A base tech vital for survival.
Persistence Hunting: Allows for Food Exploitation 1 square outside of the civilization's borders.
-Efficient Hunting: Smarter tactics allow your hunters to gain +1 Food from hunted resources.
Waterskins: Animal bladders with wood stoppers and pullstrings used to transport water. +1 to borders around fresh water settlements, +1 to Exploration Range.
Early Animal Domestication: With a very basic understanding of how to pacify animals, your people are capable of attempting domestication.
-Animal Husbandry: Exploited animals can be domesticated in order to produce specific benefits.
-Selective Breeding: Attempts at Domestication roll 2d10 and take the highest result.
--Pack Wildebeest: Wildebeest bred for their strength. Provides +1 Range to all land-based actions. Requires access to Domesticated Wildebeest.
--Long-Haired Wildebeest: Wildebeest bred for their long hair. Domesticated Wildebeest provide +1 Textiles.
Animal Bone Accessories: Jewelry, wards, and charms made of bone that provide a positive impact on tribal morale, requires access to a living (nonhuman) animal.
-Lion's Skull: The skull of the lion that led the Maneater Pride. A symbol of hunting mastery, power, prestige, and leadership within the tribe.
Clay Beads: Sun-dried clay beads ran through with string. A low-value trade good. Requires access to Clay, Textiles.
Ivory Pendants: Hand-carved ivory pendants. A high-value trade good. Requires access to Ivory, Textiles.
Subsistence Foraging: Allows for the bare minimum of passive Food collection for low populations in plentiful regions.
-Societal Herbalism: Your people as a whole have a basic familiarity with how to utilize the plant life around them. They are beginning to understand the life cycle of plants.
--Guarri Bark Paste: A bark and water mash that can be spread over open injuries to provide a level of pain relief and infection resistance.
-Primitive Dendrology: The tribe can identify the useful parts of trees better, providing Food or Chemicals in addition to Wood.
--Seedkeepers: Tribal collectors of seeds who spread them as they travel. They also keep track of tribal folklore using local trees as reference points for certain events.
---Woodsongs: Tales of the Seedkeepers turned into chants and accompanied by a rhythmically plucked bow. Is considered the foundation of the greater Baobabi language.
----Skytales: Tales of the Herbologists. Early Baobabi Astrology used to chart the time of year. Can be a foundation for many things, earthly or otherwise.
Organized Labor Force: Teams of workers organized for improved efficiency. Allows +1 Exploited Resource when Exploiting during Exploitation Phases.
-Industrious Workers: The bones of the Baobabi are not lazy. Allows new SETTLEMENTS to auto-Exploit 1 Resource.
Stone Etchings: A foundational writing technology. Slabs of stone used to keep track of herds and property. The first steps toward something greater. Requires access to Stone.
Accounting: A foundational mathematical technology. Opens up many doors as society evolves.
Bartering: A means of trade that can provide opportunities for interaction with external forces through trade and diplomacy.
Hide Tents: Provides basic shelter.
-Pit House: A semiburied wood and grass structure that provides good environmental protection, improves quality of life, and sets the stage for further enhancements to bolster a more sedentary lifestyle, requires 1 Wood per Settlement for upkeep.
Brick Kilns: A fire enclosed in a brick dome that allows refinement of various materials thanks to high heat. Requires 1 Clay for upkeep.
-Kiln-fired Bricks: Clay bricks baked at high temperature. Sturdy, brittle material. Can be used in new advancements at an appropriate Clay cost. Requires a funded kiln-like technology.
Potter's Wheel: Increases the quality and quantity of clay handcrafts. Proves a wheel shape can actually be useful!
-Baobabi Pottery: A premium trade good unique to the Baobabi made of clay with decorative indentations and ash glazing. Requires access to Clay and a funded kiln-like technology.
--Food Pots: Food storage pots that decrease Baobabi reliability on the land for food and protects food from the elements/vermin, allowing them to expand further. +1 Range to All Settlement Borders. Requires 1 Food for upkeep and a funded pottery technology.
--Way-Finding Pots: Pots storing Magnetofumes that can be leaked out to see which way is north. +1 Exploration Range. Requires 1 Magnetofumes Upkeep and a funded pottery technology. Unfunded
Stake Wall: Wooden stakes stuck into earthen ramparts to create a basic but effective barrier. Requires access to Wood.
The Baobab of Bones: A tree used to mark tribal deaths due to lions now adorned by the sun-bleached bones of said lions. The deceased are left as offerings at its base. Is not a health hazard thanks to local scavengers stealing away with corpses in the night. The bones hanging from the branches act as a macabre windchime.
Food: 4/7 (Settlement Upkeep(-2), Food Pots(-1))
Wood: 3/6 (Pit Houses(-2), Baobabi Longbows(-1))
Stone: 1/2 (Stone Arrows(-1))
Magnetofumes: 0/0
Chemical: 2/2
Textile: 2/3 (Bolas(-1))
Sand: 0/0
Ivory: 1/1
Clay: 0/1 (Brick Kilns(-1))
44-C: Desert, Mountain, Meadow, Impact Crater
44-D: Desert, Mountain, Meadow, Coast, Shallow Water
44-E: Coast, Shallow Water, Coast, Jungle
45-B: Desert, Coast, Shallow Water
45-C: Desert
45-D: Desert, Oasis, Mountain [Explored]
46-B: Savannah, Desert, Coast, Shallow Water [Explored]
46-C: Savannah, Desert [Explored]
46-D: Savannah, Desert, Beach [Explored]
46-E: Desert, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water
47-B: Savannah, Freshwater Spring, Freshwater Stream, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water [Explored]
47-C: Savannah, Freshwater Stream [Explored]
47-D: STAKEHOME (Settlement), Savannah, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water [Explored]
47-E: Shallow Water
48-B: Savannah, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water
48-C: GREAT BAOBAB (Settlement), Savannah, Freshwater Stream, Freshwater Lake [Explored]
48-D: Savannah, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water [Explored]
48-E: Shallow Water
49-B: Shallow Water
49-C: Savannah, Plateaus, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water [Explored]
49-D: The Cave Hole, Savannah, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water [Explored]
50-C: Savannah, Ferrovolcano, Beach, Coast, Shallow Water [Explored]
Identified, Identified but Currently Useless or Inaccessible and Exploited
45-D: Food (Coconut Palms), Wood (Coconut Palms), Textiles x2 (Reeds, Coconut Palms), Magnetofumes (Fumic Vent)
46-B: Food (Dolphin Pod), Magnetofumes (Fumic Vent), Rattlesnakes? (Rattlesnakes?)
46-C: Food x2 (Finger Millet, White Rhino Herd), Magnetofumes (Fumic Vent)
46-D: Food x4 (Acacia Growths, Giraffe Herds, Horseshoe Crabs, Egrets), Stone (Sandstone Stacks), Magnetofumes (Fumic Vent), Painted Dogs? (Painted Dogs?)
47-B: Food x3 (Barley Fields, Wildebeest Herd, Marula Tree Grove), Wood (Marula Tree Grove), Malachite River Stones (Stone), Alligators? (Alligators?)
47-C: Food (Zebra Herd), Wood x2 (Rubber Tree Copse(+1)), Chemicals (Rubber Tree Copse), Magnetofumes (Fumic Geyser), Cheetahs? (Cheetahs?)
47-D: Food x2 (Domesticated Wildebeest, Acacia Grove), Wood x2 (Acacia Grove(+1)), Stone x2 (Granite Inselberg(+1)), Textiles (Domesticated Wildebeest) Magnetofumes (Fumic Geyser)
48-C: Food (Antelope Herd) Food x5 (Ostrich Flock(+1), Elephant Herd(+1), Domesticated Wildebeest), Ivory (Elephant Herd), Clay (Lakeside Red Clay Deposit), Textiles x2 (Lakeside Reeds, Domesticated Wildebeest), Wood x2 (Rubber Tree Hills)
48-D: Textiles (Cordgrass Shoots), Clay (Marine Clay)
49-C: Stone (Limestone Chimneys), Magnetofumes x2 (Fumic Plateau), Sand (White Quartz Beach)
49-D: Food x2 (Crabs, Flamingo Flock)
50-C: Stone x2 (Obsidian, Yellowed Basalt), Magnetofumes x4 (Ferrovolcano)
+Wood Resource
+Domesticated Wildebeest Resource
Major Founders:
Powder Miner - (7I/2P)
Nuke9.13 - (4I/2P)
Quarque - (3I/0P)
Minor Founders:
m1895 - (3I/3P)
Doomblade187 - (2I/0P)
a1s - (1I/1P)
Taricus - (1I/1P)
Kashyyk - (1I/0P)
Fluffe1199 - (0I/0P)
Light forger - (0I/0P)
sketchykeeps - (0I/0P)
Knightwing64 - (0I/0P)
chubby2man - (0I/0P)
Author
Topic: The Founders - A RiskyArmsCivGodPoliticking Game (Experimentation VI) (Read 19770 times)