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[Akroma]

Since Dwarfaholic seemingly isn't avaiable right now, I took the freedom to simply copy his turn:

Futh- Ra stirred. Had he sensed something, some probing force in the flow? He carefully felt the flows of magic around him. Finding nothing, he returned to rest.

At the Great Glade

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Impling filth.

Ka- Ram cursed the scum. The scouts had found nothing of interest, save for the southern scout. He would seriously need to do something about them, and their recent lack of complete obedience. He walked to the nearest group, some nine of them.

"Listen up, maggots!" The thundering boom of Ka- Ram voice sent nearby birds fleeing in panic.

"The last scouting mission was a total disaster. It is all due to you scum failing to find anything.
But guess what? I have a new job for you. You four", he pointed at some random Implings, "are gonna wander out in the four Primaries, and you're not coming back until you find something.
Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Eminence." The chosen Implings, cowering in fear, quickly ran off. The rest stood still, frozen in panic, waiting for what would happen next.

Ka- Ram pointed at one of the group.

"Impling."

"Sir?"

"Follow me. I have something for you to do."

The cave south of the Glade

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ka- Ram, four Protectors and the Impling stood before the cave entrance. It was time to do something that had itched his mind for some time already.

((Can't write, need info from Armok))

The Northern scout

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Following the river was easy, but boy, was it numbing. Just walking and walking and- hey, what was that?

In front of the scout was a lake. Behind the lake, the forest ended, and there were just rocky hills. In the distance, he could see a mountain range. The Impling stopped for a moment. To continue forwards, or to follow the forests' edge? The choice would be difficult. He would have to meditate.

After some time of though, the Impling decided to go on north. Hadn't the Lord said to go north when possible?

The Western scout

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Impling had been bored for some time. Since he had left the Glade and crossed the river, he hadn't seen anything of interest. He'd probably wander like this for ever.
Suddenly, the forest ended. There was something that looked like an ocean here. It was nice to have change, but it meant he'd have to change his direction. He should probably follow the coastline, looking for anything nice.

The Southern scout

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Oh, man. I'm so bored

He had seen nothing, nothing at all since leaving the Glade. It was just the same, peaceful forest. He was fed up with forests, and for an ent, that's a lot. But A- Kor was no ordinary ent.

He had always been a rebel, a wanderer of sorts, as much as one can be in an entish society. Being chosen for a scouting mission had been the fulfillment of his dreams. Finally, a chance to get out of the repressive atmosphere at the Glade! He had even whistled while leaving, and Rashoom knows how hard that is for an ent.

So far, the mission had been a disappointment, though. Nothing but trees, and the occasional pond and so on. A- Kor sighed. How dull.

The Eastern scout

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The scout reached the eastern soon after leaving the Glade. He started following the coastline south.

((Yeah, nothing nice for this guy this turn. What can I say about it? Nothing. Thus, short RP.))

The Western scout

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

After following the coast for a while, the Impling noticed something in the distance.
((Need Armok))

The Map

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

│16                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈'' '''''⌂⌂▲ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲  ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲⌂ ⌂⌂○{{''≈ ≈≈≈≈≈{{{ ○──≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣' '''''?⌂▲ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲^ ▲▲▲▲$⌂$▲  ▲▲▲⌂⌂⌂▲▲ ▲▲$⌂⌂{'≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈{{ ⌂{{{≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ''''''⌂$ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ ▲▲⌂⌂⌂♣⌂⌂  ▲▲$⌂○⌂$▲ ▲⌂w○&⌂♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈{{ {${{≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♣ ♣┌────○⌂ ▲▲▲^▲▲▲▲ ▲⌂⌂b♣♣┌○  ▲⌂B⌂│♣⌂○ ⌂⌂⌂└┐♣♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈─ ─○{{{≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈─ ─┘''''⌂⌂ ⌂▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ ▲⌂$○┐♣│⌂  ▲$○♣│♣♣│ ⌂○♣♣│b≈≈ ≈≈{⌂≈≈≈{ {⌂{{{≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣''''$⌂ &▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ $⌂⌂♣└┐│♣  ○⌂│♣│♣┌┘ ♣│♣♣└─≈≈ ≈≈≈{{≈≈≈ {⌂♣♣♣≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈$≈≈ ♣♣♣''''⌂ ⌂⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌂ ⌂⌂♣♣♣││♣  └┐│♣│♣│$ ♣│♣♣♣≈≈♣ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ {○P♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣'''? ⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂$⌂ ○♣♣♣♣└┤♣  ♣└┤b│♣│♣ ♣├┐♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣$└─≈≈≈≈│
│24                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ─┐♣♣'''⌂ ⌂¤?⌂○⌂♣♣ │♣♣♣♣♣└┐  ♣w└┐│┌┘♣ ♣││♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ┌○♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣└────○⌂ ▲▲⌂⌂└┐♣♣ └┐♣♣♣♣♣│  ♣♣♣│├┘♣♣ ┌┘│♣♣≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ┘♣♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣$♣♣⌂$⌂ ▲$⌂♣♣│♣♣ ♣│♣♣¤≈≈≈  ≈♣♣├┘♣♣♣ │W└┐♣≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣$≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈────○⌂▲ ▲⌂⌂♣♣└┐♣ ♣│..≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈≈♣♣♣┌ ┘♣♣│♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈♣⌂≈≈≈ ≈♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣⌂▲▲ ▲⌂♣♣♣♣└┬ ┐└≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈≈≈≈♣│ ♣♣♣└┐♣≈≈ ≈≈≈.$≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣♣⌂⌂▲ ▲⌂♣♣♣┌─┘ └┐≈≈≈♣♣¤  ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┘ ♣w♣♣└┐♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈└ ──┐♣⌂$▲▲ ⌂⌂♣♣⌂│♣♣ ♣└─≈≈≈♣♣  ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣♣│♣w ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈♣ ♣♣┌┘≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♣ ♣♣└─○▲▲▲ ○┐┌─○○⌂♣ ♣♣┌≈≈≈≈≈  ♣$♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣├┐♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈♣ ⌂♣│♣≈≈≈≈│
│32                                                                      │
│                                                                        │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣♣⌂▲▲⌂ ⌂├┘⌂$▲○─ ──┘?≈≈≈≈  ≈♣♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣│└┐ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈─ ○┌┘♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣⌂⌂▲$⌂ ♣│⌂⌂▲^$⌂ ♣♣&♣$≈≈≈  ≈≈♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣│♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈.♣ $│♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣┌ ─┐♣⌂$▲⌂♣ ♣└≈⌂⌂&⌂♣ ♣♣♣♣♣♣?≈  ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣│♣≈ ≈≈≈≈..♣♣ ○┘♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈──┘ ♣└─○▲▲⌂♣ ♣♣│♣♣⌂○┐ ♣♣╞╞♣♣♣♣  ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣$♣v≈≈ ≈≈≈..♣♣$ ⌂♣♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈♣♣♣♣ ♣♣♣⌂▲$⌂♣ ♣♣│♣♣♣⌂│ ♣╞√√√♣♣♣  ♣♣?≈≈≈≈♣ ♣w♣♣♣└≈≈ ≈≈≈───○▲ ⌂♣♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈♣♣♣♣♣♣ ♣┌─○⌂⌂♣♣ ♣♣└┐♣♣♣│ ♣♣√#√♣$♣  ♣♣♣♣$│¤♣ ♣♣♣v♣V≈≈ ≈≈.♣¤⌂▲⌂ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈♣♣♣♣┌ ─┘♣┌○⌂♣N ♣♣♣└┐&♣└ ┐♣√√√♣♣&  ♣♣&♣♣└┐≈ ≈♣♣♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈.┌≈○⌂♣ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈♣♣┌┘ ♣♣♣│⌂♣♣♣ ♣♣$♣≈≈≈♣ │♣♣♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♣♣v≈≈ ≈≈─┘⌂▲⌂♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│

NOTE: The scouts are at ((34, 25) at the $), (43,19), (48, 31) and (42, 37)
Ka- Ram, the four Protectors and one Impling are at the cave at (42, 30).

[nahkh]

Turn 3:
Summer

As spring blooms into summer the peoples have established limited contact. Settlements are build built, trade is emerging and civilizations are beginning to take what they consider theirs. In the game room, gods watch each other with suspicion. Who to trust, who to ally? Gods lay their down their pieces and plans, ever calculating strategies.

The winds blow mostly from the north, and bring with them a chill that the summer sun cannot entirely dispel. The north is covered in clouds for the early weeks, with cold summer rains.

[coelocanth]

Stats for start of turn 3

Settlements

Location	Name	Population	Pop Cap	Race	Next Turn
35,20	Astmeban	39	230	Daroth	45
42,27	Great Glade	44	1110	Ent Impling	59
42,27	Great Glade	0	21	Ent Lord	0
42,27	Great Glade	9	375	Ent Material	10
42,27	Great Glade	0	168	Ent Protector	0
16,39	Tribe	47	300	Nacka Rachti	51
20,60	Seristis tower	15	100	Mage	15
19,70	Ehn’gha / Odua	145	810	Iraxi	167
15,84	Vol Sundar	50	280	Crocrolen	65
29,85	Vol Tikal	67	340	Crocrolen	87
24,87	Tel Sarangis	169	630	Crocrolen	220
13,44	Huis Hoop	93	465	Ipetian	117
29,77	Akkad	151	600	Akkadian	181
59,23	Kavla Niti	125	765	Anqip	157
46,38	Halas	112	620	Hrun	128
46,38	Halas	5	310	Hrun Wolf Mount	6
40,115	(unnamed base)	58	530	Silent Ones	67

Groups

Location	Leader Name	Population	Race
27,21	Kell	5	Daroth
46,21	Sall	5	Daroth
34,25	Ton	5	Daroth
12,60	Jaleen	6	Mage
22,68	Elestric	3	Mage
22,68	Qirosh/Zira – prisoners	2	Iraxi
25,93	(scouts)	2	Crocrolen
23,70	(merchants)	10	Akkadian
28,84	(merchants)	10	Akkadian
19,69	(scouts)	2	Iraxi
18,71	(scouts)	2	Iraxi
21,71	(scouts)	2	Iraxi
22,70	(scouts)	2	Iraxi
35,46	Poltifar	19	Renegades
43,19	(scouts)	1	Ent Impling
34,25	(scouts)	1	Ent Impling
48,31	(scouts)	1	Ent Impling
42,37	(scouts)	1	Ent Impling
15,44	(hunters)	19	Nacka-Rachti
21,37	Celsius	5	Nacka-Rachti
42,30	Ka-ram	6	Ents (1,0,4,1)
46,41	(scouts)	3	Hrun
44,35	(scouts)	3	Hrun
59,27	(scouts)	2	Anqip

Adventurers

Location	Name	Companions	Race
25,34	Mari Narena		Seyec
35,70	Bahad		Akkadian

[Akroma]

1st. week

"In the sandpit was WHAT?"

"It's just as I told you, my elder. The monstrosity inside the sandpit had the mark of Nagarach. We don't know wether it has always been a demon, or was made one after we offered it's soul to the icy lord. But seeing how it was able to resist our blood, it must have been one of his deciples from begin with."

"Then we better pray it became a demon AFTER sending him to Nagarach. If we accidently killed his son, then problems might arise....."

week1-6

Celius was looking at the dark sky above her, thick, gloomy clouds foreshadowing rain that was to come. She sent a look of pure hatred towards the clouds, as if outmatching them in eerieness would make them flee, and the ground dry.

"Keep your coats ready. If you are caught in a heavy rainfall and I have to free you of the ice, you will regret it.
According to the thaloni, there is a river about 100 miles ahead. We have to make our way around it, as crossing it will be dangerous and time-consuming. We will head north-east from here, over the mountains, and then head straight east through the forest. It should be around 8 weeks untill we get there, give or take depending on how long this awful rain will continue."

-----------------------
The southern hunters return and inform the elders of the tribe of Ya'yuram, the frozen ant-lion. The party of Celsius is slowed down by the rain and the detour around the river, and thus only makes it that far.
The frozen spring has accumulated enough ice and has become a glacier. The river is completely dry, and a whole 18 weeks without new water have led the  lake around the ipetains to shrink conciderably. It is not yet dried out completely, but fish are dying on a grand scale. The enormous difference in temperature, (as it is summer now) is causing large storms to form around the field of eternal winter. They are not very strong (yet) but almost permanent, lasting many weeks without break.




││≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣♣⌂▲▲⌂ ⌂├┘⌂⌂▲○─ ──┘♣≈≈≈≈  ≈♣♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣│└┐ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈─ ○┌┘♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣⌂⌂▲⌂⌂ ♣│⌂⌂▲^▲⌂ ♣♣♣♣♣≈≈≈  ≈≈♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣│♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈.♣ ♣│♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣┌ ─┐♣⌂⌂▲⌂♣ ♣└≈⌂⌂⌂⌂♣ ♣♣n♣♣♣♣≈  ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣v♣│♣≈ ≈≈≈≈..♣♣ ○┘♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈──┘ ♣└─○▲▲⌂♣ ♣♣│♣♣⌂○┐ ♣♣╞╞♣♣♣♣  ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣♣│≈≈ ≈≈≈..♣♣♣ ⌂♣♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈♣♣♣♣ ♣♣♣⌂▲⌂⌂♣ ♣♣│♣♣♣⌂│ ♣╞√√√♣♣♣  ♣♣♣≈≈≈≈♣ ♣w♣♣♣└≈≈ ≈≈≈───○▲ ⌂♣♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈♣♣♣♣♣♣ ♣┌─○⌂⌂♣♣ ♣♣└┐♣♣♣│ ♣♣√√√♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣│♣♣ ♣♣♣♣♣V≈≈ ≈≈.♣♣⌂▲⌂ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈♣♣♣♣┌ ─┘♣┌█⌂♣N ♣♣♣└┐♣♣└ ┐♣√√√♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣└┐≈ ≈♣♣♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈.┌≈○⌂♣ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈♣♣┌┘ ♣♣♣│⌂♣♣♣ ♣♣♣♣≈≈≈♣ │♣♣♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈─┘⌂▲⌂♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│40                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈─┬┘♣ ♣♣┌┘⌂♣♣♣ ♣♣♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♣v≈≈ ≈≈♣♣⌂▲♣♣ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈♣│♣♣ ♣♣│♣░░♣♣ ♣░♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈.♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♣♣≈≈ ≈♣♣⌂▲⌂♣♣ ≈≈≈♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈┘♣♣ ♣♣│⌂░░░░ ░░≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈.♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♣≈≈≈ ≈──○⌂♣♣≈ ≈≈♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣♣ ♣♣≈≈L♣░░ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈..♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣▲○─≈≈ ≈♣⌂≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣♣ .≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈.♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣.≈≈ ≈≈≈♣≈≈≈≈ ≈♣⌂⌂♣♣≈≈ ≈♣♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣♣ ♣..≈≈♣♣♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣  ♣♣r♣♣..≈ ≈.♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈┌○♣♣≈≈≈ ≈♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣♣│♣♣♣ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣♣.. .♣♣♣♣≈≈≈ ─┘♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣♣└┐♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♣  ♣≈≈≈≈♣.. .○⌂♣♣≈≈≈ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│

[coelocanth]

After the disaster at Tel Sarangis, 100 of the crocrolen leave to found new settlements.
50 go north to the waterfall at 23,83 to explore for minerals, Korkel accompanies them.
50 go south to the island in the swamp at 24,90 which is easily defensible
Tel Sarangis is downgraded to be known as Vol Sarangis, but Inkala stays there to heal the wounded and train apprentice shamen. (she arrives at end of last turn)
One severed hydra head is taken to each of the new settlements to mount on a menacing spike as a warning to attackers, a severed head is also taken to display in Vol Tikal (the Akkadian merchants may have some reaction to this)

Of the two scouts sent to Vol Sundar, only one arrives, delirious, and without the map.


┌─────────God View──────────────────┬─────────Civ View──────────────────┬─────────No Special Places─────────┐
│80      0        1        2        │80      0        1        2        │80      0        1        2        │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈8≈≈≈♠♠♠♠⌂6⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌂⌠4~~~¤¤~?~│        8 ≈≈♠♠♠♠⌂6⌂   ▲⌂⌂⌠4~       │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈8≈≈≈♠♠♠♠⌂6⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌂⌠4~~~~~~~~│
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│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠♠┌─┘⌂ ⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂F┴ ┐~~~~~~&│         ≈≈♠♠┌─┘⌂ ⌂▲ ▲⌂⌂F┴ ┐~~~    │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠♠┌─┘⌂ ⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂○┴ ┐~~~~~~~│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠┌─┘♠F" ⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌠⌠ └─┐ç~~~~│      ≈≈ ≈♠┌─┘♠F" ⌂▲  ▲⌂⌠⌠ └─┐ç~~~ │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠┌─┘♠♠" ⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌠⌠ └─┐~~~~~│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┌ ──┘♠♠♠"" ○⌂▲▲⌂○⌠⌠ ⌠$└─F┐~~│     ≈≈┌ ──┘♠♠♠"" ○⌂▲▲⌂○⌠⌠ ⌠⌠└─F┐~~│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┌ ──┘♠♠♠"" ○⌂▲▲⌂○⌠⌠ ⌠⌠└──┐~~│
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│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┘ ♠♠♠♠♠""│ ""○⌂○⌠⌠F ⌠≈⌠⌠$$≈≈│     ≈≈┘ ♠♠♠♠♠""│ ""○⌂○⌠⌠F ⌠≈⌠⌠⌠⌠≈≈│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┘ ♠♠♠♠♠""│ ""○⌂○⌠⌠⌠ ⌠≈⌠⌠⌠⌠≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♠♠♠""""│ ""│⌂⌠≈⌠$ ⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈│      ≈≈ ♠♠♠"""   ""│⌂⌠≈⌠⌠ ⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♠♠♠""""│ ""│⌂⌠≈⌠⌠ ⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│88                                 │88                                 │88                                 │
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│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈""""$"│ "│"⌠⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│         ≈""    └ ┐│"⌠⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈       │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈""""""│ "│"⌠⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈"""""└ ┐│""⌠$⌠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈⌂│                " ├┘""⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈       │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈"""""└ ┐│""⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈⌂│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈"""#"" ├┘""⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈⌂^│                " │"""⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈       │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈"""""" ├┘""⌠⌠⌠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈⌂^│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈"""""" │""""⌠⌠& ≈≈≈≈≈♠♠#│                   "#""⌠⌠⌠ ≈≈      │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈"""""" │""""⌠⌠⌠ ≈≈≈≈≈♠♠○│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈"&"?" │""#"⌠≈⌠ ⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈┘│                     ""⌠≈⌠ ⌠≈≈     │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈""""" │""""⌠≈⌠ ⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈┘│
│≈≈≈≈$≈≈≈ ≈≈≈""""" &┐""""⌠⌠ $≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈↑≈≈≈ ≈≈≈""""" └┐""""⌠⌠ ⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│96                                 │96                                 │96                                 │
│≈≈≈≈↑≈≈≈ ≈≈≈&"""" "│""""&⌠ ⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈↑≈≈≈ ≈≈≈""""" "│""""⌠⌠ ⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈$≈≈≈ ≈≈≈""""" "└─┐""⌠⌠ ⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈↑≈≈≈ ≈≈≈""""" "└─┐""⌠⌠ ⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈""?" "↑¤│"""⌠ ⌠&≈≈≈≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈"""" "↑↑│"""⌠ ⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈"""" ""≈≈≈""" ⌠⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈"""" ""≈≈≈""" ⌠⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈"""" """≈│""" ""⌠$≈≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈"""" """≈│""" ""⌠⌠≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈↑≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈&"" "$""└#"" """"≈≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈↑≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈""" """"└┐"" """"≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈$≈ ≈≈≈≈≈""" """""│"" """""≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈≈≈↑≈ ≈≈≈≈≈""" """""│"" """""≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈""" """""└─┐ """""≈≈≈│                                   │≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈""" """""└─┐ """""≈≈≈│
│104                                │104                                │104                                │
└───────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────┘



Settlements

Location	Name	Population	Pop Cap	Race	Next Turn
15,84	Vol Sundar	50	280	Crocrolen	65
29,85	Vol Tikal	67	340	Crocrolen	87
24,87	Vol Sarangis	69	630	Crocrolen	90
24,90	Vol Sirtis	50	540	Crocrolen	65
23,83	Vol Kendar	50	385	Crocrolen	65

[Istrian]

An invisible shadow slowly crawls up on the triangular nest and takes the serpent's golden tooth. Frost, slowly crawling up on a leaf, covering it entirely. A mountain burns and sends tremors through the surrounding lands.

Seristis Tower - Diviners's Quarters
Summer – First Week

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sirilanai took a deep breath. His visions were especially clear in this world. It did not change the fact that he couldn't understand them any better than on Aurea. Thinking slowly he realized he could try something that might work here, as the flow was exceptionally strong.

He focused on the last vision he had seen, that of the burning mountain.

Southern Expedition
Summer – Third Week

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Elestris let out a long sigh of relief. The ruins were finally far behind them, and whatever race their guests were would no longer be able to catch up with them. The real reason why the hydromancer was relieved was that now they were no longer on a narrow river but on a vast sea. He was now able to expand the iceberg a whole lot, so that all five of them would have some breathing and walking space.

He had observed the strange creatures for a while and had the feeling they were unwilling, or unable, to escape. So far, no attempts had been made, despite the fact that the two of them were always “talking” to each other. They also seemed to take fish soup without much disgust, despite looking like aquatic creatures.

He wondered for a while if he shouldn't send a message to the other mages about the “guests” they were bringing with them. He also wondered how the other expedition was doing.

Western Expedition – South Forest
Summer – Fourth week

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Inifius mechanically cut through the thick foliage of the forest where he was now. It wouldn't have been so difficult to advance in this forest if he had to do it alone. Unfortunately he was accompanied by Jaleen who, despite being quite a conversationalist, was not accustomed to long walks under an oppressing heat, having spent her youth in Imperia Aureali, the Imperial Capital, before entering the Tower at the age of 16.

Jaleen, meanwhile, found that her companion was not very talkative and not very willing to tell about the long life he had lived so far. Most of her questions he answered with short sentences, never offering any foothold for further conversation.

Western Expedition – West Mountains
Summer – Fourth Week

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sendar slowly climbed on yet another hilltop from which he could a taller hill to the west, and a lot of trees to the east. He could also see a mountain in the distance. He focused his will to the flows. They were just the same here, all pointing toward the sphere. A careful study of the flow created by the sphere would enable him to understand how to best bend it to stop its effects from spreading too far away. He had already his mind set on the exact runes he would need to use, the way they would need to be arranged and their size.

“Come on Gregor, let us keep moving, we should reach the hill over there and see what we can find.”

The hulking zombie diligently, but slowly, walked behind the geomancer, being careful to observe the surroundings for any potential threat, even though everyone seemed to be immortal here. Even his flesh recomposed completely, dispensing him from taking the usual blood bath to keep his skin fresh as it was during his life.

Seristis Tower – Grand Council Room
Summer – Fourth week

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

“I saw a tower, a tall, slim tower far to the south, at the edge of a wide savanna. I saw the tower splitting in two, with great fire splitting from the cracks. There was a low rumble and the very earth rose to swallow the ruins. A new mountain exploded in fire, sending great quakes in all deirections.” finished Sirilanai.
“And you want us to send a party to investigate the phenomenon ?” asked Athan
“Of course. If we want to know what causes that event we need to investigate it. I suggest sned-” his voice was cut short by Kirlin.
“You want us to send people to watch something that could have happened yesterday, as it could've four millenia ago. For all we know it may happen in a century. Making it an official Tower matter is not a wise decision, especially now when our means of travel are reduced.”
“You can of course go on your own, Sirilanai” added Ostralin “if you can find someone willing to transport you down there. Now, shall we return to the matter at hand ?”
“Good idea” said Sekhfar “Now, I think my theory is right. Buttered bread always falls buttered face down when the flow of illusion is stronger on the other face.”
“Unless of course the bread was previously encahted to fall down on the unbuttered face.” replied Carvanil, referring to the earlier joke Athan had played on the illusionist.

Western Expedition – South Forest
Summer – Fifth week

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

A sharp scream made Inifius turn around, katana at hand, ready to protect the mage whose life had been entrusted to him. The shout had come from Jaleen. She was on the ground, breathing heavily and slightly scared.

A movement registered in the vampire's eye and he quickly sliced the air at his left. Something fell on the ground. Two things, both having been part of a single creature an instant before.

“That thing really gave me a scare, landing on my shoulder like that.” said Jaleen, standing up and getting dust off her robes with a slight gust of wind.

She looked at it more closely. It turned out to be a strange insect-like creature. Half of its body was a caterpillar, and the other half a butterfly. She decided it was strange and looked around. She noticed a few other insects like this one and decided that she would catch one later for study.

The Flows, and how they interact

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

│56                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈≈│♠♠│ ♠♠♠♠┌≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠♠♠≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈≈│♠┌┘ ♠♠♠┌┘≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♠♠⌂♠≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈♠└┐│♠ ♠♠♠│♠♠≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♠ ♠⌂≈─┘≈≈≈ ≈≈≈T¤≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈♠♠└┤♠ ♠♠♠│♠♠♠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠♠≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♠ ⌂▲⌂t♠≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈♠♠♠♠└┐ ♠≈≈┘♠♠♠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ┌○⌂♠♠≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  ──♠♠♠♠♠│ ⌂▲≈≈≈♠♠♠ ♠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ │⌂⌂♠≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♠  ♠♠└─┐♠⌂○ ▲^⌂≈♠♠♠♠ ♠♠≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠♠♠≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈t≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♠♠  ♠♠♠♠├──○ ⌂⌂○┐♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│64                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♠♠  ♠♠♠┌┘♠♠♠ ⌂⌂♠│♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈♠♠♠  ┌──┘♠♠♠♠ ♠⌂♠└┐♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠┌──  ┘♠♠♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠│♠♠♠ ♠♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠♠≈≈ ≈≈≈♠└┐≈≈ ≈≈♠┌─┘♠♠  ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠└┐♠♠ ♠♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠⌂▲○─≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠≈ ≈≈♠♠♠└─┐ ♠♠┌┘♠♠♠♠  ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠⌂⌂├┐♠ ♠♠≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈⌂▲^▲⌂≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠└┐ ♠♠i♠♠ç♠└ ──┘♠♠♠♠♠  ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠≈┘│♠ ♠♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ┌─○▲⌂≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠├ ┐♠♠I♠iç♠ ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠  ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠│♠└┐ ♠♠♠♠♠♠≈≈ ┘♠♠♠≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♠≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠♠♠│ └i♠♠i♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠~  ~~~♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠│♠♠└ ┐♠♠♠♠≈≈≈ ≈♠≈≈≈≈≈≈│


Tower Maps
         ≈≈≈≈≈≈
    ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
   ─┘≈≈≈≈≈≈T¤≈≈
  ⌂t♠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
   ♠♠    ≈≈≈≈≈≈
   ♠      ≈≈≈≈
          ≈≈t≈
          ≈≈≈≈
          ≈≈≈≈
          ≈≈≈≈
          ≈♠└┐
            ♠#

[Zako]

It was time to expand. Erak wanted to be sure that the Hrun nation was confident in its proceedings with the world and he decided that the best way for them to get a good foothold on this world is to create multiple settlements.

He choose 60 out of the Hrun who were living at Halas, splitting them into 2 groups of 30. Just enough to create 2 new settlements futher north. They were to travel as one group for about 10 stretches of land north, and build a settlement in a good spot, preferably not too far from water, though he was confident that they could look after themselves. They were to both create a settlement together, so to establish a secure place easier, and when they were confortable with their settings, the other 30 would move onward, further north and a bit inland if they could. He sent both groups north just last week, and presumed that they made good time.


Scouts:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The northern scouts hadn't returned as of yet, and Erak wasn't unconcerned. They were capable men and women, and would be able to look after themselves, just like in the old wastelands of home.

The southern scouts had returned, and had brought something. It was a large lump of dark molten metal, they said that it was at the base of a giant lightening split tree, surrounded by a circle of stones. Erak wasn't sure of what to make of this and assigned the Druid to inspect it closely, to determine its properties and if it was safe or not. He had also mapped out all the terrain south of Halas, showing that it ended in a peninsila. ((Spelt right?))

Halas construction state:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The towers and great hall were finished recently, and Erak was pleased. The docks were 2/3's done as well, which supprised him as he presumed that his people couldn't work like this, but he was pleased nonetheless. The men and women were enthusiastic about their jobs, and were happy that the great hall was finished. They could drink to their hearts content, talk about the day and if they were to have unexpected guests, then the hall would be a good place to talk with them. More stone houses were made, and the Druid and his two apprentices had their own hut to practice in. Another still and a leather works had been created in the workshop shelter, and plants for brewing were plentiful, as were fish from the ocean.

Erak posted daily guards, 4 in each tower (there were 4 in all) and ordered his builders to start building a large stone wall around the town. He was very happy to see that the base structure was already finished for this wall, and he planned for it to join onto the towers as well. The wooden scaffolding was already in place when the 60 Hrun had left for settlement building.

Hrun Settlers:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Hrun settlers had made great time, covering a lot of ground in the days since they had left Halas behind. In fact they had already set up a temporary camp, using hide tents for shelter. They had plenty of materials around, and had mining and digging tools to use stone as well as plenty of axes to chop wood. They were already creating a palisade as their first project and were perfectly fine.

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((Can Akroma update the map at the start of each turn please? It would be a great help instead of finding my previous posts.))

[Poltifar]

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results

Turn 3: Witchcraft and Wagonworks

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

After the... unexpected end of the pyramid ruin, the Renegades try to think of a way to move their newly aquired many tons of gold. Carrying it all on their backs would be impossible, even with all the strength enhancing spells they knew. The builder/architect mage was the first to propose building some kind of vehicle, and after some more arguing, it was decided that magically controlled and pulled large wagons were to be constructed. During the six first weeks of summer, the Renegades first experimented then actually constructed the magewagons, as they were named. A total of 4 large magewagons were made.

The wagons would look something like this, and approximately the same size:


But six weeks is a long time to be doing nothing but building wagons. The Renegades also worked on other smaller projects, mostly experimenting with the flow of magic in this world, which was slightly different than the one in theirs. They also managed to create the first animated object they ever made, although it was only a tiny rock finger or worm that wiggled around. Nevertheless, it was the beginning of their work in the animation domain.

During all that time, Poltifar was rarely seen. He had wanted at first to study the serpent's tooth and the serpent's song, which had been recorded magically into a gem, but had decided that their were other priorities. Throughout the 6 weeks, animal shrieks and screams could be heard at night and occasionally during the day, accompanied sometimes by a maniacal laughter. None of the other Renegade members ever went far into the forest when Poltifar was out, and none even dared ask him what he was doing...


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│48                                                                      │

Status

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Members of the Renegades:
(I've fleshed out some more of them)

-Poltifar Chaoswielder: Master of all arcane secrets known to the Renegades and some not, he is one of the most powerful mages of his race that has ever lived. Very powerful melee and ranged warriormage, using melee weapon (normally longsword) in unison with magic. The leader of the organization. 17 years old (atleast, in appearance...)
-Seandar Ironfist: A grizzled old warrior, favoring the greatsword. He has lived through many battles and campaigns, and thus has alot of experience. 49 years old.
-Jonil Truestrike: Seandar's young son, and an already well-trained user of the greatsword, as his father is. 17 years old.
-Emily Dawnbow: A very skilled bow-user, also dables in the arcane arts, allowing her to shoot magically enhanced amunition. 16 years old.
-Terna Farstrider: An experienced explorer, having seen alot of the old continent and wanting to explore the new one even more thouroughly. Experienced with the bow and spear. 27 years old.
-Ernest Windwalker: A daydreaming scholar who has great power in the wind and weather domains. 25 years old.
-Klin Diceking: A merry rogue and gambler with incredible luck and great skill in stealth and light weapons. 21 years old.
-Farn Earthmover: A stubborn yet sympathetic earth-wielding mage, also a good fighter when using the hammer and axe. 24 years old.
-Inglan Steelshaper: A young magesmith who still hasn't really proven himself. 19 years old.
-Anna Dreamweaver: A spirit mage with a wide array of spells and power, yet most are non-offensive. Also, a diviner and has some powers over dreams. 20 years old.
-Godroy Fireheart: The group's pyromancer, has a quick temper yet is very charismatic. Very powerful in offensive fire magic, but not much else. 25 years old.

The rest: I wanted to flesh-out all members and give them all names now, but I will only give their profession and develop their characters during the game as they are needed. But consider them all as powerful as the ones above.:

-1 medic/healer
-2 swordsman
-1 spearman
-1 crossbowman/hunter
-1 builder/architect
-1 scholar/philosopher
-1 ice mage

Other:

	plains	forest	jungle	hills	swamp	desert	rocky hills	tundra	high montains	sea	on river
Normal Speed	8	9	5	8	4	7	8	6	1	N/A	5
Basic Magewagon speed	8	7	3	7	N/A	6	6	5	N/A	N/A	4
Pop Cap	80	90	70	60	20	10	20	8	5	60	+40

[Prometheus]

As summer arrived the capital city of the Eternal Empire was slowly becoming more livable. Fresh engravings had begun appearing on the restored buildings. The palace was getting refurbished as well. Reinforcements were sent to the ruins to bring back any artifacts found and set up basic living quarters. They would finally begin the extensive exploration of the ruins and plan for the eventual reconstruction of the cities and outposts. Prospectors would begin the long journey to the mountains far to the south, to search for fresh building materials and possibly metals. Metal that hadn't corroded beyond usefulness was quite rare these days.
Some of the capital's residents had taken to exploring the city itself as well. So far no useful artifacts had been found, only a pitted metal fragment that went "bloink" when shaken.
After a week or so a messenger returned from the north-east, reporting that the reinforcement party hadn't found a trace of the scouts. This worried the Emperor slightly, but he didn't show it. This would have to be investigated later. For now, he had an empire to rebuild.
Rumours had surfaced about strange creatures entering the jungle from the south with beasts of burden carrying loads of wares. No contact had been made as of yet. The Emperor was very interested in hearing about this. He considered setting out to meet the strangers in person, but decided to send one of the bookkeepers he had assigned instead. He gave the envoy a strange metal headdress that had been found in one of Odua's vaults and instructed him to wear it when meeting the southern foreigners. "In case of language barriers", he said. "Oh, and tell them about the roads. It is likely they'll have been going straight through the jungle, and if they indeed come from the great desert they will have trouble adjusting." Fortunately there were still remnants of the old road network here and there. Clearing them out and repairing them would take some work, but even now they'd be better than going through the wild jungle.

Groups of 4 Iraxi head to the ruins scouted earlier to reinforce. Seven more head directly south to search for resources in the mountains.


│64                                                                      │
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│≈≈≈≈≈♠≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠♠♠│ └i♠♠i♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠~  ~~~♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠│♠♠└ ┐♠♠♠♠≈≈≈ ≈♠≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│72                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈♠♠≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠♠♠│ ♠└┐♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠~~~~  ~~~~~~♠♠ ♠♠♠♠└┐♠♠ └──┐≈≈≈≈ ≈♠≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠└ ┐♠│♠♠♠♠○ ♠~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~ ~♠♠♠♠│♠♠ ♠♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
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[Mel_Vixen]

Life and Death.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

   
Fathinu was sitting in the grand cave an ancient graveyard used by animals and Elves for thousands of years. Many had found death here then they sensed that it was time to die. It was a place of death, of saying good bye and yet it would become the places of his suicide.  An poisonous Mushroom should bring him a quick but painless death.
 
 He sighted, the world has been a hell for many years now at least for Fathinu. All his friends and relatives have gone the straight path over the sea to a new world. The ones that stayed were becoming old and sometimes insane - the fate of all immortality which comes with being an elf. All of the ones that had stayed had died in the last couple of Century’s and now its was his last day. He would follow his kind as soul being reborn in a new body in a new world.

His short knife cuted the Mushroom that was yellow as sulphur to little bits. “Now and for all days I end with this world.” he spoke and swallowed his poison of choice. He layed back and tried to sleep.
 
The entire cave was filled with stalactites and stalagmites creating an natural round circle the bottom was filled with various bones of deers bears wolves and Lions, feathers from owls, ravens, and Hawks. Even the fins of fishes and could be found in the piles of bone. The walls were showing  sedimentary lines and layers which almost appeared like an river of flowing sand. Here and there the walls had pawprints on them and as Fathinu looked upward inviting death in his mind he recognized a paw print of an fox on the highest point of the ceiling. A paw print? Up there? And moving?
 
 Fathinu suddenly beguns to sweat, like under the hottest summer sun. Was it the false Mushroom? Was it the fate of getting insane catching up in the last Minutes? He rolled on his stomach. The world was whirling around him the colors of the wall were flowing! The stone river was flowing! Flowing with little skeletal fish in the stream! He blinked. That couldn’t be! But it was there! Soon the bones around him were moving weaving an carpet of clicking sounds while assembling again to theyr old forms. Soon an skeletal Bear hunted the the fully restored fish! When did that happen? And where was that clear water coming from?  Why was that stalactite growing leaves? An set of bones rolled over his spine assembling an fully grown deer numbling on the stony leaves then an pack of wolves showed up out of a mere feature of the wall! They hunted down the deer! but it could escape them and meet an male got pregnant and give birth in just a flash! The grass was itching in Fathinus face as the live from death exploded around him! He witnessed an beautiful Sunset and an colorful dawn on the same time. The entire creation whirling in an fast beautiful kaleidoscope around him touching something deep in him. Then the night was called by the evening critters. The night came and went dark even darker when any blackness any mortal eye has ever seen. All the life the sheer power of the sight was enveloped by an dark curtain. Fathinu closed his eyes and waited. After moments it got very silent and relaxed but something nagged him deep down.
 
 “Do you want this really Fathinu from the elves and the tribes of the seyek? Do you want to die? Do you want to forget?” an body less voice appeared.
 “Yes I want! I won’t see this evil world no more.” Fathinu said looking out for the speaker.
 “So shall it be.” An pack of big yellow eyes flashed up and of the Glades shadows walked 6 to big white wolves showing their teeth and trying to surrounded him.
 “Quite an interesting death” muttered Fathinu to himself and began to run. Run away from the wolves that followed on his heels out in to shadow of the forest. An painted forest from unimagined perfection in its imperfection. He stumbled and found himself lying on the ground in the front of an Squirrel. The squirrel shocked first, growed quick and attacked Fathinu which in pure panic sprung up and runed in the direction from where he was coming. Then he remembered the wolf pack, turned to the right and speeded up even more with wolves and an crazy giant squirrel after him. As he runed he noticed several other animals joining the hunt after him! Vicious carp swimming through thin air side as side with gone mad sparrows eagles lizards and insects! It seemed even some trees there hunting him! Damnit was this entire forest after him?
 
 “This way!” an female voice shouted and Fathinu noticed an little red and white cannid in his way? An fox? An fox would help him? Did it spoke? He runs past the creature which cathed up with his feet quite easily.
 “I said this way! This means follow me you green idiot!” shouted the Vixen. She lead him throught the an briar patch and over an little stream but the crowd still followed them.
 “There we running?”
  “To my burrow.”
 “Your burrow? I will never fit in!”
 “It looks like you fit don’t you think?”
 Suddenly Fathinu noticed that he wasn’t running anymore. He was sitting under the roots of an tree in an burrow as large as an hut.
 “Where? How? ”
 The vixen looked a bit depressed “So your wish is to die and forget I heard.”
 “What … ah … this world has nothing for me left you know all my friends are gone. Can you help me?”
 “Well you didn’t want to die out there. Anyway I can grant your wishes but I need some exchange for it.”
 “No trick? Ok what do you want.” He said realizing that if this was only an hallucination befor his poison death a trade with Liska wouldn’t change anything. Liska? Where did this name come from? His thoughts were disturbed by her soft voice.
 “As you see I am pregnant and I need something from you.”
 “Ok what do you want? I die anyway so you can have it all.”
 “Well then your meat will do it.” She smiled and ripped his throat with her teeth. She crushed his bones, licked away his blood from the floor, gnawed away the last bits of meat from the skeleton and he witnessed all  that at full conscious.  As she consumed the last part of his mortal being, the still pumping heart in his ghest, his sight faded in sweet darkness of forgetting.

It is warm in here he thought and the beat of his mothers Heart made him calm. Calm from what? he couldn’t say but his mother was there loving him playing the drum of her heart for him and only for him. then were was a rippling going over the warm beloved curtain that enveloped him and a shadow of incredible pain goes through his spine. Then suddenly something pushed him out. Out of the warmth? Away from his mother! Her muscles pushed him away from her? Why did she do that to him? Didn’t she love him? Didn’t she play the rhythm of the world for him on the drum of her heart? Why did she do that!

Then his head dived in the warm and humid air of the burrow and he understand that the time of warmth was at the end but that it was good to be born. Lying on the ground he bite open the last parts of the skin-curtain which was entangled with him. With each breath he breathed the power of the worlds gathering strength and age. After half an hour breathing he was an adult. He had could gone now but he waited on his mother to awake.

“Hello young fellow” she said as she noticed him. “I never had an cub that was Black and silver.” she smiled.
“Mommy who am i?”
“So young and already asking the best questions. I don’t know but I can give you a Name.” his mother smiled again “Do you want a name?”
 “Yes Mommy give me a name.” he said with the excitement of an child that’s gets an new toy.
“Let me think.” Se made an face as she were thinking really hard then smiled and spoke again “I name you: Mari  Narena. And now my cub, go out and seek who you are.”
 
As the young fox has has left the burrow he noticed an skeleton , an elven one, and something on it was familiar, so familiar. The deep eyeholes sucked him in entangled him with never known memories, dark pictures and grey days. They dulled him and then he made himself awake because of fear .
 
He awoke in an new world with an new body half humanoid half his new form.
After the shock of awaking in an unfamiliar cave he felt something unpleasant in his throat and then he vomited some yellow parts on the floor.
 After doing this he inspected himself. He had hands, ok this was odd but his fur was still black and silver. Ha the hind paws stayed the same that was good…. Wait! He was standing on them? The nose was there too and after an brief touch the ears too under some silvery head fur which he hadn’t in the other place. This was odd too. His tail was … where the hells was his tail? There was no tail only that nasty thread of his …. “Stupid taylors nowadays” he thought as he undressed his pants to make an hole for his tail. There were shoes and a sword – a icori he remembered from nowhere - too but he grabed only the sword and its belt because this “shoes” weren’t designed for his feet. “And stupid Shoemakers too.” he said aloud wondering that his voice sounded so mature.  In another world his mother the nature Ghost Liska smiled. “Just reborn and already found the way out. I have a good feeling about you my cub.”   

Tricks, Magic and Caveman

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The days and weeks were full of hunt and simple survival. Liska had told him where to go.

Liska .... He had found the way back into the oremeteyo the world of ghost some days ago while meditating. He had reapeared , in his new body, near her burrow. She was not there so he waited and after an hour Liska returned with an bunny in her jaws.

 "Hello little cub" She said and smiled. "visiting your old mother eh?"
"Yes." Mari smiled back. "Mother why am i .... why do i look like this?"
"Well you know your apperance here comes from you and you lived in that body longer then in the Body of your birth. You are just used to it so you have choosen this form for your visit."
"And on the other place?"
"This is an bit trickier. You know acaathira is more Physical then the oremeteyo. Its laws are more binding. Maybe i tell you later how it really works or you find out by yourself."

Mari looked down. "Its hard there and i am sometimes lonely. And this lonelyness is terrible familar. There are things i dont understand. Why i do i understand elven? Why do i need an sword and .... why were you hunting Mother?"
"Oh i just have known that you couldnt find any suitable pray today. "
"Thank you but i cant eat it uncooked."
"Silly me. Well you can change that."
"... Yes your right." Mari grabbed some firewood but stoped. "Do you have Firestone and steel mother?"
"No need for it." liska spoke and looked sharp at the wood which almost incinerated.
"How did you done that? That was ...was .... magic!"
"Yes it was" Liska grined "An very simple trick and quite comon around here."
"It didnt look so simple."
"Its very simple and easy, i just like to make an good show."
"Can i learn it? I wont magic too!"
"Hmmm before you learn my magic you have to use that magic you already know my cub."
"I have no magic Mother."
"Oh everybody has its own magic and you have more then others because someone has learned it for you longtime ago as well as the elven language and your swordfighting skill."
"I have? So how do i use it?"
"Thats up to you. Hmmm lets change the subject for now. Do you know where to go?"
"No i, i dont know where i have to go. I dont know what to do in the acaathira."
"Ah then i have something for you. The acaathira has chnaged recently. Gods and demons appered and are playing an Game. Foolish little cubs they are, they use theyr races to make war, to hunt merci- and needles or killing each other. Well, to be fair, there are some who want peace and good living for theyr races too as well as some organisations which work on theyr own without an god. We here dont like the way it goes and we have seen many worlds suffering under the hands of gods. You will anyway encounter the players and theyr pawns so how about taking position for us, for the balance and for an better life? You dont have to it and youc an leave this Task whenever you want. What do you say my Cub?"
"I ... i dont know. I can try it but i can swear nothing. I am only one person " Mari answered.
"Well thats more then when we expect. Thank you."
"So where do i have to go?"
"Go eastward untill you reach an ocean and then along its shore North. Maybe you find something interresting on your way."



2 Weeks later Mari had wandered far straight to the East. He could smell the salt in the air as he found an little brook flowing out of an dark cave. In some distant he could see an dark tower and somehow he feeld an unatural cold over this place like the eye of an blizzard looking for something. He didnt like this Tower but he was interrested in this cave.

It was an hole in an little cliff with an cold brook runing out of it. Itwas dark in there so he decided to make an torch outof an branch dry grasses and some Pineneedles.

 Mari entered the cave cautious with the torch in one hand and the sword in the other one.

After 50 Meters in The dark cave he noticed a little branch going upwards but he decided to follow the maintunnel first. An moist feeling of fear and danger was gowing inside him so he begun to hum. He recognized the melody but from where did it come?

".....nu try it. I know its hard but it could someday safe your life." Inori an female very old elv and Champion of the tribe said. "Speak The words with me: Fera veca ino a zocisa. Let the Magic flow to your body bend it with your mind. Conzentrate your will."
 "Ok. Fera veca ino a zocisa" an very young male elv said and something in the flow changed as he conzentrated, wielded his mind as an Smithinghammer.
Before his body an lightly glowing membrane expanded but got shattered like glass by the wind.
"*sight* Your not born for it." said inori.
"Is there no other way to do magic? "
"Not as long as you dont become a shaman, an contractor or something i dont know. If you want do magic learn the spell. I see that its too hard for you now so lets try something else."

The sudden flash of memory was gone as fast as it has come but a the little melody stayed. It was an resonnance somewhere deep in the flow and he could hear it, help it out of his mind into existence. He calmed down and humed the melody a bit louder. He noticed that his feet were walking the entire time and that he was standing now in an little pool. Something ,in some distance, slipped almost soundles in the pool.

 Mari lowered his torch a bit and waded further into the pool.

Was there something to the left?
 He turned and suddenly something crashed against the magic barrier, he stricked with the Icori and the melody faded out as well as the slightly glowing membrane which had defended him.

Black blood was spilled over the pool and the monster ,which had attacked him, turned for a retreat as Mari's sword struck again this time cutting an leg apart.

After his enemy ,some kind of frogman, has fallen, Mari stopped for an short moment. This was not how he intended to work. His reflexes had taken over and had injured that Creature. An quick look told him that the wounds were mortal.
"Please forgive that i cant rescue you from the the wounds my hand has given you. I going to kill you so you dont have to suffer much longer." With this words he headed the frogman.
After that he searched the cave around the pool and found the Frogmans nest. In was an ring made from silver with an ruby atached to it, which Mari did take. He laid the frogmans corpse in the nest, for its eternal rest, after that.
"Please excuse that i did slay you."

After this intermezzo Mari continued the exploration of the cavesystem by going down an passage he had found at the frogmans pool. The passage did lead to an grand L shaped cavern. At the far end he found another tunnel which was covered by an organic mass. Humming again he entered this tunnel and after a view turns he found himself near an round chamber filled with Antman.

"Time to retreat from here." Mari thought and sneaked back and released the melody without using the shield. At the cave entrance he remembered that branch from the beginning and decided to investigate it too.
The passage way was really narrow and leaded slightly upwards.

On the way up something like a string catched Maris leg and out of nowhere an skeleton appeared. Mari totally surprised took the torch and bashed it against the Skeletons head. It stood still.
"Its dead. Like in dead dead. Calm down Mari and get your fur unpuffed." he whispered to himself as he had found that the skeleton was entangled in an trap.

Cautious Mari moved around the skeleton and investigated the tunnel. "Ahh. There is another one." he thought as he found an Crossbow trap. After some testing mari succeeded in removing the trap and added an crossbow and 6 Bolts to his inventory.

Two minutes later and some meters down the tunnel he heard to voices. Goblins! They talked about food, theyr guarding duty and the general filthy Goblin-stuff.

Mari decided to use an trick. He loaded the crosbow and sneaked some meters back into the tunnel. Then he made an loud noise of sudden pain and agony.
The goblins surprised that theyr trap may have killed something entered the tunnel and the first one was shoot by Mari who dropped the crossbow and grabed his hunting knife. The first goblin did fall over and now that Mari had an clear path he was throwing his knife at the other goblin.
The second goblin ,more lucky then his friend, did dodge the Knife but stared for an moment at Mari.
"I'll gut yer for tha ye little scunner" The goblin shouted and charged. Mari who had drawn his sword in the meantime dodged the attack and took some steps back.
"This so gobs arent dumb" he fought. The remaining goblin was staring at him. "Using spears in this narrow passage is an good tactic. To good for my position. I need something .... something ... ah yes. I hope it works". The Goblin readied for another charge as Mari begun to hum again now feeding only from his imagination and not from ancient memorys.
 He extended his hand and draw it back as the goblin charged. The charging Goblin  interrupted by his deads friends spear ,that striked him in the back, got disturbed in his ballance. Mari usin this opening, took an step forth and impaled the Goblins throat with the sharp tip of his Icori. Now both goblins were dead.

The Room after the trapped tunnel was small and the only valuable in the room was an chest which was opened very fast. In it were many coins and an map to the Goblin main quarter.

"And i fought there is something more useful in here. At least knowing where i find some goblins might be useful." Mari said to himself as he took only some of the coins and the map.

On his way out Mari gathered the corpses of the Goblins as well as the skeleton to bury them proper with theyr belongings on the outside.

After an long night of digging graves he marked the cave as dangerous zone by scratching an skull and an Antman at the stone on the caves entrance.
He departed to the Northwest at the next morning following the shoreline of that little ocean.
 

Inventory

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Basic clothes
Silverring with Ruby

Icori                           
Knife
Crossbow
5 Bolts

Firestone and steel

10 Silver coins
5 Goldcoins

[Kashyyk]

Astmeban:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Rall was pleased, their town was growing, and the population was rising steadily, Thaemin knows were all these children were coming from though. He had got one of the younger Daroth to help him with the managing, as the Miners had not struck any precious stones lately.

Kell, son of Hent

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It was nearly Night when the Group reached a mountain pass. Watching over it was an old tower, surrounded by birds. But in the window, Hess, the lone female in the group, noticed a solitary candle, flickering in the darkness.
Next morning the band approaches the tower, weapons sheathed, but close at hand. As they neared the tower the birds circling it started to squawk noisely. Halting they stood and watched them, they saw that they were ravens their black feathers shining in the morning sun.
Dell took, from one of his many pockets, a crust of bread, crumbling it he threw it on the path in front of him. Eyeing the flock, daring them to take it. One of them flies down, ignoring the crumbs, and stares at the intruders, before flying away.
The Daroth approach the tower again, stopping about 10m away. they see, truly, how big this tower is. It is 30m tall, and dominates the landscape. Kell shouts up to the tower, no-one answers. As they approach the door they see that it is quite new, compared to the tower, which must be at least a thousand years old. The path, well used led to the door and the Daroth follow it. they reach the door, and after a short pause, Kell knocks on it. Loudly. You hear a metallic clang on the inside.
They chech around the walls, looking for windows at ground level. There aren't any. The nearest window is five meters above ground level.
The tower is made from stone, old and worn at that. It has many hand holds.They decide to climb the tower, besides that clanging, could of been made by a trap!
Don starts to climb the wall aiming for the nearest window. the rest of the Daroth gather around the base of the tower ready to catch him if need be. The ravens gather on the one side he is climbing, screaming as they do. As you reach a window you see a filty room on the second floor. He spots an elderly woman dressed in rags standing near the window. She screams at him to leave her alone and swings at him with a frying pan.
Don tries to block it with his hand, but misses. putting his other hand to his bruised shoulder he bites back a curse. too late he realises that he is now not holding on to the wall! he lopples backwards, to be caught by fis friends.
"AND DON'T YOU COME BACK!"
They call, up to the lady that they are very sorry, they didn't know anybody lived here.
"I HEARD THAT! THATS NO WAY TO TALK TO THE ELDERLY!"
They put their weapons on the floor and ask her wwether they can come in, they do it as politely and loudly as possible.
You hear heavy furniture being pushed. Apparently she doesn't notice.
Retrieving their weapons the Daroth walk back to the door and push it open. The door is easily opened. Inside you see a lived in room, with cupboards hastily cleared of foods. The room is quite dirty. In one corner you see a fireplace that probably has never been cleaned. There is a ladder leading upstairs, but it is sealed with a hatch.
They enter the room, carefully. One of them checks the back of the door, to find out what made the metallic noise. You see a fallen stack of cooking pots. They shut the door and search the room, to see wether there is any food left behind, or any thing else, for that matter. Nothing useful was found. It seems that the old lady took everything edible upstairs and barred the hatch. With the pike they knock on the hatch, above. There seems to be something heavy on the hatch, as it barely moves. "MY SONS WILL BE BACK SOON, AND THEY'LL GIVE YOU A RIGHT KICKING IF YOU'RE STILL HERE WHEN THEY DO!"
They call up to her "when will they be back?"
"REAL SOON! YOU BEST RUN ALONG NOW!"
They leave the room, and wait outside, scanning the area for the ladie's sons. There is no sign of them. They wait until sundown, no-one comes. You would expect that the northern cliffs contain a good amount of magnetite and possibly gold further up. Also, as you spend the day waiting, you see that there is a perfect site for a settlement just west from here. Downhill seems like a probable place to find suitable flux as well.
The group return to the tower, and call up to the lady: "Are you sure you sons are coming?"
"Of course I'm sure. They promised to come back. They wouldn't lie to me. My sons love me."
“When did they say they would be coming back ma'am?”
"I said they'd be back so they'll be back! Don't you question me young man!" 
“I'm sorry, but we have waited for them and they have not returned. Where did they go? when did they leave? we might be able to help them to make their way back"
"I don't know... They've been gone for a... long time now."
"I know how you feel ma'am," said Kell, "I have sons who have gone from me to."
"They'll be back. They promised they would." You are pretty sure you can hear sobbing.
 "I know ma'am, mine promised that too," he replied "they do visit me sometimes, though. So don't worry, I'm sure they will return soon".
You're certain she's crying now. You think you hear something like "30 years", but you can't be sure.
tentatively Kell calls up and asks "may we come in Ma'am?"
"All right, but just you." You hear heavy furniture being moved.
The group walk to the Door, and stand outside, looking out to the surrounding area. Kell enters. he reaches the ladder and climbs up itand then knocks on the hatch
The room upstairs is quite messy, with various foodstuffs simply stacked on the table. There is another ladder leading to the roof. The woman is sitting by a table. Her white hair is tangled and her clothes are in rags, but she makes an effort to tidy herself up a bit.
"I'm sorry about earlier."  she said "I don't often get visitors you see. My darlings warned me that someone was coming so I panicked."
"yes, I am sorry about that ma'am, we saw your tower and didn't think anyone was in. I hope you don't mind"
"I don't really mind company, but I was afraid someone was trying to take me away from here. This is was our home, before my husband passed away."
"don't worry ma'am, we do not wish to hurt you, or anyone. hang on a momnt, i've been incredible impolite, My name is Kell ma'am, may I know yours?"
"I'm Lota. Nice to meet you. Erm, would you like something to eat? Or your friends downstairs?"
 "that would be very kind Lota, and if you have anything, we wouldn't mind having something to eat with you, shall we eat up here? or downstairs?"
"Would you help me to carry these back to the kitchen?"
"of course" Kell said, picking up some of the food.
You carry the foods downstairs, and she lights a fire. "Tell your friends to come in. It's a cold summer this year."
Kell goes outside, and calls the rest in, telling them to be polite and try not to mention family at all. They come in and, shutting the door, gather around the fire. they tell her their names. Gan, Dell, Hess and Don.
She quickly has a pot boiling. "I hope turnip stew is fine? I can't get much meat up here. Oh, nice to meet you all. Sorry about the frying pan."
They agree that turnip is fine, and Don, assures her that he had survived worse.
Kell, asks "how long have you been living here?"
"Oh for most of my life. We moved here after my husband and I got married. Must be around fifty years now." She prepares the meal, clearly happy to be cooking for more than one. After she finishes and passes out cups full of steaming stew. thanking her, the group eats the stew. exclaiming how wonderful it is.
 "Aww it's nothing really. Just a spot of herbs to spice it up. So, why are you up here? Hardly anyone comes this way these days. Looking for the gold?"
Hess, the only women in the group, says, "No we didn't come here for gold, although we only realised that they might be some around here while we outside. No, we are exploring, checking the land, that sort of thing"
"and we just happened to see your tower," added Dell.
"Oh, we mostly get goldminers. Not even traders come up here that often. They used to, or so my husband told me. There used to be a busy road through the pass. It died out long before I was born though. But you're in luck. Nobody knows these mountains better than I, and no mistake. I'll show you tomorrow from the roof. Now, would anyone like some more?"
 The whole group does, and they start telling her about their current travels, and Astmeban. She passes out a second round, and takes out a bottle of home-brewn wine. She listens intently.
the group, having finished their stories lapse into silence. Kell thinking quickly asks "We were sent out to look for natural resources, good spots for building towns and things, would you be able to help us?" 
"I think I can help you with that, but it would be easier to just show you from the top of the tower in the morning. How about we all have a good nights sleep and talk about it in the morning?"
"Sounds like a plan" Kell says. "we will help clear up shall we?"
"Oh you are all such dears." You clean up the remains of the dinner and prepare to sleep.
The morning dawns. She leads you up to the top of the tower. The lady talks about the surrounding landscape at length while you take notes. Your civ gains detailed maps of everything on a four square radius. You learn that there is a perfect spot for a city and a trade route just west of here, with a nearby waterfall that is hidden behind the woods. You find the locations of two ruins, (18,26) and (23,24). You learn some probable locations for gold mines up the northen mountains (18,23).
Kell thanks Lota for looking after them for the night and for giving them such detailed information. He then paled, he had to find a reason to leave this kind old lady. She glances at him with a knowing eye,
"would you help me turn my vegatable garden? then I won't keep you any longer."
---
"she was nice" stated Don
"of course she was, now we need to take some people to that spot you found" Kell replied.

Ton, son of Kent

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Through that night the Daroth had been working hard. building a cage trap to capture that walking bush. just as they finish they see, once again the thing, slowly creeping towards them. they stand their ground, in a semi-circle around it, watching. The bush stopped, before chittering at them, in a high pitched squeeky sound, accompanied by low creaks and rumbles.
"Do you think it is trying to talk to us?" asked one of the Daroth, Hesitantly.
"Oh, probably" replied Ton, smiling.
The bush was now standing just between them and the barely concealed cage trap, behind it. The group took a step forward, the bush a step back. Again, one step forward, one step back. One of the Daroth staring at the bush with ill-concieved contempt jumped forward, sending the thing into flight. spinning around the bush hurtled away, to slam into the hard bars of a wooden cage. Looking at it they packed up and, cage carried between them, set off.
---
One night on sentry duty Ton saw that the bush was trying to escape, so grabbing his axe, he jabbed it  at the bush, pushing it into a corner, quivering. he grabbed a branch off of the ground and, so that the bush could see, he chopped it cleanly in half with his axe. Smiling he walked back to the fire.

Sall, daughter of Keat

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Another wave splashed over the keal of their boat, spraying the Daroth in seawater. Grimly Sall hauled at one of the inumerable ropes on the little vessel, doing Thaemin knows what. Slowly, the boat crested a wave to arrive at the bottom of another one, indefinatly. they were going to stop at the island just south of them, but what with it being small and not very interesting, they decided to carry on, to the other side of the lake. At least they had fish though.

Summary:
Kell, arrives at tower, leaves to take people to this new Sweet spot.
Ton, catches Impling, returns To Astmeban.
Sall, middle of the lake on a boat, enjoying the fish.
Astmeban, expanding, still searching for Ores.
Population:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Total Daroth: 54
Daroth in Astmeban: 39
Current Civilians: 32
Military: 7
Occupations:
Miners: 4
Woodworkers: 2
Stoneworkers: 2
Rangers: 2
Metalsmiths: 2
Craftroth: 1
Admins: 2
Children: 9
Fishery Workers: 2
Farmers: 4
Engineers: 2

Axeroth: 2
Hammeroth: 2
Spearoth: 2
Kael, Son of Rall.

Patrols:
Eastways
total: 5

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Captain: Sall, Daughter of Keat.
Hammeroth: 2
axeroth: 2
Swordroth: 1

Westways
total: 5

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Captain: Kell, Son of Hent.
Hammeroth: 2
Axeroth: 2
Pikeroth: 1

Southways
Total: 6

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Captain: Ton, Son of Kent.
Hammeroth: 2
Axeroth: 2
Maceroth: 1
Impling in cage: 1

Civ map:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

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God Map:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

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[deadlycairn]

In the New Settlement:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Doulos strode through the camp, the newly christened Apoikismos, making sure preparations had been underway. Production of real housing to replace the basic shelters they had built earlier was underway, and farms were being built. However, the Silent Ones had no more metal. They had found the ore they had mined from the mountain, although similar to the ores they had at home, was unable to make weapons and armors of a satisfactory standard. The ore was good for nothing but the foundations of the houses and cheap trinkets. In the mean time the warriors were wearing bone armour, cumbersone and unprotective as it was, until they were able to find some real ores. Hunting still continued, and food supplies were reasonable, as long as you didn't mind the taste of the deer, and the strange fruits the farmers were growing. After the collapse of the first guard towers, nearly injuring one of the magicians who had just barely escaped, Doulos had ordered the others pulled down. His haste had nearly been the death of his men, and this worried him. A wall was being constructed around the village to replace the towers, but it was unfinished, and his men were at the mercy of the wildlife until it was. Finally, and most worryingly of all, the speed of the Change was unbelievably fast compared to the homeworld. Already most of his farmers looked vaguely leafy, and his warrors had skin with a vaguely bark-like texture. Normally this would take decades to occur, and they had been here only a few weeks! All the news was not bad, however, because refugees had arrived! Bedraggled, tired and weak, admittedly, but they had recovered with medical care and some real food. If they could make it, so could others! Therefore it was of the utmost importance that Doulos could find artifacts of power, to build a beacon to call other refugees to their settlement. That was what he was preparing for. 24 of his finest men were going to come with him to search the east of the island for ruins. They would split into groups of five and fan out, each group within a stretch of each other so they could keep contact telepathically. If they found anything, they would converge on the spot. The groups would consist of four warrors in each group, with a scout leading four of the groups and Doulos leading the last. He grinned, administration had never been one of his strong points, but finally there would be some action! With that in his mind, he looked for his companions, to check, for the 5th time in as many minutes, that everything was ready.

OOC: The refugees are just an explanation for the growth rate. Also, because I forgot to mention it earlier, the populace consists of 24 warriors, 14 magician/rangers and 20 scouts. Silent Ones all fight if the need arises, and they all work as well. The scouts are split into five groups, which will fan out to search to the east. The groups consist of four warriors in each group, the four scouts split between groups and Doulos in the final group.

EDIT: Added the map. As always, notify me if I've done anything horribly wrong.
MASSIVE EDIT: Fixed all the things Akroma and Nahkh told me about, including but not limited to: making steel stuff, really fast building, vague movement description, weird map and movement over a mountain. Please notify me if, in clearing up those errors, I've added new ones.
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[Nhiphanter]

Akkad.

There was some hubbub among the magistrates as they had decided to investigate the rumours of somesort of large building buried in the desert, very near the city.
It had appeared that there indeed was a supposedly largely buried structure of some blackish material in the desert. The thing was even from the tower during day and they hadnt spotted it. That had lead to an employment of some watcher gargoyles on the roof.

A single mage was given a carpet, some explosive potions in order to fend off possible threats and a thaumometer to measure levels of magic in it, was sent out to investigate this ruin.

It proved out to be sort of object or structure, resembling the hull of a ship.
As the mage went down lower to measure the thing better, he noticed that it wasnt stone or any common building material, but rather made of metal. Badly corroded.
As he looked for any possible opening or doorway, or even some engravings, he found nothing except a slightly more preserved plaque with some sort of unknown writing and a string of marks. He tries to make some sense of the marks for awhile, hoping it to be a key for the language, but finds it too difficult especially when the wind seems to rising and throwing his carpet around a bit.

Eventually the mage leaves back to the tower.

The tower

"Well? what did you find Khmer? What is it?"

Was the first thing he heard as he got back into the tower.

"I need the control of the remaining skeletons in the city. I think its not a structure, but rather somesort of... well thing. We need to dig it out to get in i believe."

There was a slight excitement to be notent amongst the mages. particularly the grand vizier Jafar who was evidently scheming something. He was sitting on the dark red coach that rounded the lobby, reading a brown leatherbound tome the others had not seen before. But the library was wast, full of knowledge from the old world and not even oldest of the wizards knew everything it held.



Back at the alien structure
After awhile Khmer was back to the thing in the desert and the skeletons had commenced their digging. It took several hours until the whole thing was dug up.
There were some sort of outcroppings in fixed pattern on the ship, and multiple hatches leading inside the thing.
One of the hatches was promptly opened by the mage, resulting in a dry hiss as the sand poured out of the large lobby that was inside. Some sort of lights tried to light up as the hatch was opened.

This had some effect on Khmer as he found the ominous lights curious and wandered into the chamber to examine them. Apparently they were behind somesort of thin panels, their light flickering on and off, as if they were barely working.
Khmer shrugged his shoulders and looked around.

There were two corridors leading out of the apparent lobby, still half filled with the sands of the desert. The corridors had too their floor covered in thick layers of sand that might force him to crawl.

The corridor quickly widened to the same proportions of the lobby, creepy light from the flickering lights illuminating it. On both sides of the corridor there were benches with mummified corpses sitting on them. The alarm bells in Khmers head ringed immeaditetly on the prospect of potential undead, and he called the skeletons to him.
As the mummies seemed inactive now, Khmer decided to test their awareness. He threw a fireball to the nearest one.

The aged corpse shattered to pieces from the impact, flaming parts flying all around. Khmer sneered at the corpse and then walked past the apparently nondangerous mummies. There was door at the other end of the hallway.

There was only a small room behind it, furnished by three chairs and a completely age destroyed panel. There was an ominous smell of age and decay, like everywhere.
There was also a wall with some old wires hanging from it.
Khmer slided his hand over the panel in hopes of some effect, but nothing happened. Frowning, he tried to cast a simple repair spell on the panel. Nothing notable happened, except maybe some shifting of dust...

After shrugging to the motionless panel, he turned to the wall with the wires. They were old, and they were fragile looking. He guessed that uncareless handling would quickly turn them to dust.
After some examining he decided to try and reinforce them with the same spell as earlier, in hopes of better results this time.
The spell does apparently nothing good, and only results in a small cloud of sand sliding down from behind the wire panel.

Khmer sighes and resolves that he must try it in the old fashioned way. Carefully he takes two of the wires, paying great attention not to press them too hard. Slowly... he brings them together, and makes them connect.
The resulting bang threatened to make Khmer deaf for his life, and the room was suddenly full of smoke making his eyes water.
Shambling around a few seconds trying to find his way out, he finally found the doorway back to the hallway.

With a quick survey if the mummies had reacted somehow, which they hadnt, Khmer waited for the smoke to fade. Soon, it had done so.
Walking back in, he looked around... and to his great disappointment, saw nothing very interesting to happen. Only the lights seemed to flicker more.
There was some black marks on the surprisingly well survived panel. He pressed his finger on one. It was hot.
Frowning while sucking his finger, he ordered one of the skeletons to press its bony hand on the mark. Nothing happened.

Khmer was a little unsatisfied what with he had seen so far, the place being rather devoid of anything interesting or atleast working so far.
Then he remembered the other passage in the lobby.
He quickly made his way through the corridor and to the lobby, heading straight for the next passage.

Eventually the corridor led to dimly illuminated, dark room that had old machines of by now unknown origin covering the walls. After vainly trying to make things out, Khmer got tired and created a small but lightgiving fire to sprout from his index finger.

What he saw was somesort of large machine in the center of it all, with a peculiarly colored light glowing from within it. There were also some warning signs on the walls.
As he wasnt a rash person, Khmer decided to research on these signs before rushing off to see the big machine.

There wasnt much to see, what he could make out the pictures in the signs the area was restricted from unauthorized persons. Well... since whoever owned this thing were probably those now mummified, and in one case in ashes, there probably werent any unauthorized or authorized persons.
He headed for the mysterious machine.

After some circling around the corroded machine, Khmer spotted a hatch, which he promptly opened. There were two glowing orbs of some unknown material inside, attached to some machines and about one meter wide in diameter. The orbs were about half meter away from each other.

The interest of Khmer sparked up immeaditetly when he saw these, as they obviously were somesort of powersources for this metal thing.
He called one of the skeletons near to him, snapping one of its fingers off.
He took aim... and threw the finger towards the orb closer to him. It bounced off and fell to the sandy floor. Undamaged.

Khmer sighed and pressed his hand on the orb. It felt cool to touch, but no strange sensation was felt.
Still, he felt these orbs could prove to be unbelievably valuable in the future.
He ordered the skeletons to remove the orbs from the decayed machines, which breaked off easily.

As one of the skeletons was carrying the other orb away and the other still in the process of being removed, Khmer noticed that the glow of the orb taken away was quickly diminishing.
He ordered the skeleton to bring the orb back. The glow became stronger the nearer it came.

He suddenly had a strong suspection of how the orbs worked, and ordered the other skeletons to remove the remaining orb from the machinery and bring it as close as possible to the other orb.
As the skeletons carried the orb closer, the glow began to flare up at speed. When the distance between the orbs was less than a half meter, the light emanating from them was already too much to bear for an uncovered eye.

Khmer lifted his hand for the skeletons to stop before the orbs connected, for he had a strong feeling that it wouldnt be advisable. He reached out to touch the other orb. It was hot enough to scald a small part of his skin.
It pained, yet still he smiled... This was a great finding.

He ordered the skeletons to carry the Orbs back to the tower carefully, while he hovered above them with his carpet. They were going to be back... Oh yes, he still wanted to know What that thing actually was.

About two weeks later, merchants guild

There was some chattering in the lobby of the guildhall, people were still talking about the orbs carried to the tower some two weeks past.

"Did you see those two Orbs? The skeletons actually brought them real close one time... Those things looked like they were about to explode at that very moment i tell you..."

"I know, you have talked about that thing for two weeks now! Don't you think we dont know already. The question that begs for answer, is what treacherous deals could set you on the streets at daytime?"

There was a short mumble, but it was cut short by the guild secretary stepping into the lobby.

"Effendis... The meeting is commenced, and you are asked to take your rightful place in it"

The merchants, of lower and higher classes, shuffled inside through the decorated double doors, incredibly valuable, and took their place on the stone steps leading downwards, onto a plateau where a comfortable looking ebony throne sat. On the throne was a thin, short man, his black beard neatly trimmed into a goatee, and his curly black hair cutted to look very formal.
He was wearing a black turban decorated with single large star ruby, the sign of a man of the highest class and wealth.

He lifted his thin hand, and like on a wall, all speech ceased.

"Fellow merchants... As you probably know, the merchants guild has long been the elite organization of those most wealthy among the Akkadians. This state... has led to a dangerous decay on our overall economy, threatening to cause serious damage to it"

There was some angry depate among the wealthier merchants and sneer among those in rags.

"Homever, In unity lies strength as we all know, and possibility for greater goals. As such, i have chosen to invite all the merchants of Akkad to join us in this organization, to help us, and fund our greater goals."

There were some debate, but great amount of voices of approval among the merchants. The discussion swelled for a few minutes until he lifted his hand again.

"Homever, the first of these goals, is to establish our new headquarters on the port city of Ac Acasid, for ships as vessels of trade, are the future.
This will need the combined force of all merchants, to set up our headquarters and build up the docks, man our ships"

The chorus of shouting this information caused was incredible, noone had ever even heard about Ac Acasid. The most pressing question was homever what the city was and where it is. There was a smile on the black bearded mans face.

"Little birds have told me so, that grand vizier Jafar seeks to establish this city"

The tower

Jafar was all set and ready. The book had offered him great offerings, ones that he knew would be decisive in his seeking for the greatest power in Akkad.
Homever, more research on the tome would be needed before he could use it.

Now he only needed to establish power... And he had already chosen the place. Port cities tended to grow in power, and that he was just going to establish.

Well, time to start packing up.

Southern caravan

The merchants had finally erected a permanent tradepost on the north side of the river, preparing finally to move out back into Akkad.

As they were packing up, one of them suddenly spotted a head of some huge beast, struck up on a spear. It was set up in the southern side, among the crude huts of the semi-civilized creatures that called themselves the Crocrolen.

Immeaditetly plans struck on their minds, and they called on their tradepartners. They asked and listened about the beast and finally learned that it was one of the nine heads of a huge, rare and ferocious beast called "Hydra".

Soon they were haggling in a deal for the whole body of the creature to be sold to them, and the deals were indeed generous for the frogmen.
The whole caravan they had would be handed over to them, and discount on a few future caravans on all goods, if only they would get the body of that great beast.

Finally, after someamount of time, the caravan was handed over to the frogmen, and a message sent to the capital to send up some means to drag the body into Akkad.

Northern caravan

The northern caravan was miserable, they had wandered in the seemingly endless jungle for weeks now, and the ruins they had saw were not a big help.
They had set up a camp among some ruins of somesort of ancient watchtower, The gargoyles spread among the ruins to look like ancient statues, and as such to take any attackers by surprise.

"We've been travelling for weeks now... I hate all this... Green. And the wet. And the animals... Did you see those... maggots that dug in Fahar's skin? I had to plug them out with my knife..."

Overall, the morale wasnt very high. They had lost a few camels to animals too. The camels now counted in 58.

Suddenly there was some rustling up from the treetops, and the strangest thing they had ever saw landed infront of them, with a decorative metallic headdress. It was like somesort of cross between a bug and squid, with its chitinous carapace and tentacles of supposedly flesh.
It gave them what apparently was a greeting.

"Greetings two legged beasts, I, am a representative of the eternal empire and the emperor. Aswell as the Iraxi kind"

The beast sounded like speaking somesort of strange gibberish, yet it was perfectly understandable. cryptic.

The merchants shuffled around it, giving it their salaams and at the sametime eyeing the thing suspiciously.

"Well greetings to you too... You of Iraxi kind i suppose, We, are merchants. We come from the great Sultanate of Akkad, and seek new and profitable traderoutes. It seems we have found one... Now excuse me, private meeting..."

The merchants gathered around, some muffled discussion coming through.
Finally they stood up and faced the Iraxi.

"Well then... If you indeed represent civilization, might you tell us the way to your capital and your markets?"

The Iraxi told them something about roads, not too well kept but serviceable, someway to the west. The merchants thanked the creature and gathered their things.

¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤-¤
Summary, Jafar leaves with 50 Akkadians (25 of them merchants) to found the  new portcity, Ac Acasid. Construction of the city is begun.
A ruin is investigated, artifact(s) found. 30 skeletons and 5 mages set to the task of disassembling it and taking any mechanisms and metals and things into custody.

│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♠♠  ♠♠♠┌┘♠♠♠ ⌂⌂♠│♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
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│≈≈≈≈≈♠≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠♠♠│ └i♠♠i♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠~  ~~~♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠│♠♠└ ┐♠♠♠♠≈≈≈ ≈♠≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│72                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈♠♠≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠♠♠│ ♠└┐♠♠♠♠♠ ♠♠♠♠~~~~  ~~~~~~♠♠ ♠♠♠♠└┐♠♠ └──┐≈≈≈≈ ≈♠≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠└ ┐♠│♠♠♠♠○ ♠~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~ ~♠♠♠♠│♠♠ ♠♠♠≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠♠ │♠└┐♠♠♠└ ──┐~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~ ~~♠♠♠└┐♠ ♠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♠♠♠♠ │♠♠│♠~~~ ~~└─┐~~~  ≈↑~~~~~~ ~~~♠♠♠└┐ ♠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♠♠ │♠♠│~~~~ ~┌─↑Ç───  ┐~~~~~~~ ~~~♠♠♠♠├ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠♠≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈┐♠ └──○~~~~ ┌┘~~↑~~~  └Ç≈≈~~~~ ~~~♠♠♠♠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈♠└┐ ⌂○⌂i⌂~~┌ ┘~~~~~~≈  ≈≈≈≈~~~~ ~~~~♠♠♠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠└ ○▲▲▲⌂⌂○┐ ~~~~~~~~  ~≈≈≈≈≈~~ ~~~~~♠♠≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠≈≈≈≈≈│
│80                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈♠♠♠♠⌂ ⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌂│ ~~~~~~~~  ~≈≈≈≈≈≈~ ~~~~♠♠♠│ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠♠♠♠┌○ ▲▲^▲⌂⌂≈│ ~~~~~~~~  ~~≈≈≈≈≈≈ ~~~...┌┘ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈♠♠┌─┘⌂ ⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂F┴ ┐~~~~~~~  ~~≈≈≈≈≈. .~~..♠│♠ ♠≈≈♠♠♠≈≈ ♠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♠┌─┘♠F" ⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌠⌠ └─┐ç~~~~  ~≈≈≈≈≈.. ....♠┌┘♠ ♠≈≈♠⌂≈≈♠ ♠≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┌ ──┘♠♠♠"" ○⌂▲▲⌂○⌠⌠ ⌠⌠└─F┐~~  ~≈≈≈≈≈.. .....│♠♠ ♠≈≈≈≈≈≈♠ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♠│ ♠♠♠♠♠♠"┌ ┘⌂⌂▲⌂≈⌠⌠ ⌠⌠⌠⌠⌠└┐~  ≈≈≈≈≈... .....│♠♠ ♠♠≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┘ ♠♠♠♠♠""│ ""○⌂○⌠⌠F ⌠≈⌠⌠⌠⌠≈≈  ≈≈≈≈.... ....┌┘♠♠ ♠♠≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♠♠♠""""│ ""│⌂⌠≈⌠⌠ ⌠⌠≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈≈.... ....│.♠♠ ♠♠≈≈♠≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│

[AlanL]

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|      _ _ _ \
|Turn  | | |  |
|      - - - /
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        (*)
=   $$aa     /---\
== o==o-H    |-a-|
+++++++++++++++++++ The Town of Kavla Niti

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Vinn and Kafar rode down the dirt path, looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their new gains. As they turned a corner, Vinn looked into the distance, spotting another pair of wagons coming in laden with gold, "Well it looks like we have competition already!" Kafar leaned forward, "What do you- WHAT THE HELL? That's OUR F*CKING GOLD!" "Calm down, besides, we can't run a business without customers! Competition is good for the economy anyway." Kafar lowered her head, growling slightly. Changing the subject, Vinn spoke, "Well seeing as we can't spend all ours we still need a place to put it all."

Kafar sighed through her nose, then looked off to the side. One of the shopkeepers was talking to a mason, quite interested in getting a chest to personally store his money alone in. After a rather brief period of thinking, her annoyed expression turned to a smile, "They'll need to put their gold somewhere too. In fact, I don't know why I didn't think of this before!" "Becoming bankers? It's a good service but it's not very profitable, remember the laws i-" "Laws of the old world? This is a new world we're in, and nobody's been called king yet. We can make it profitable." "I guess someone's going to have to do it anyway, at least we'll get some publicity out of it!" Kafar's smile turned into a grin...

---------------------------------
|| 2 Weeks pass on the surface ||
---------------------------------

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

During this time, Kafar purchased a bit of semi-unused land around the center of town to build a bank on. While she was busy building a bank, Vinn had decided to put a lot of the idlers around town to work, sponsoring projects to build up the town and it's infrastructure, as well as investing in opening a shop. Normally, hunters would have to invest in shop space to sell their own meat, but Vinn's goal was to open up a common shop for them. He would buy the meat from the hunters, and the hunters would make more money since they didn't have to invest in shop space. He would then sell to everyone else, both making a profit himself and providing a convenient and fair-priced outlet for all the townsfolk.

While Vinn was busy doing this, Kafar spent her free time claiming land around town, otherwise free land that she could now sell, effectively free money.

$---------------------------$---------------------------$

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Got any way to deposit yet?"

A group of 4, returning from the cave with quite a sum of money, stand in the not-even-half-finished bank, Kafar standing in a half-done doorway.

Kafar replied, "The vault isn't done yet, but if you'd like, there's enough room in the bay and I have people guarding it."

The group talked amongst themselves, "You think it's alright?" "She has a lock on the thing, nobody's going to take any of it without getting noticed." "Well we can't take off north with all this gold in the back!" "... yeah alright, besides it says on the form if it gets lost she'll pay us back for it." "Yeah." "Yeah alright!"

Kafar grinned. People seldom move a significant portion of their fortunes around, and thanks to this, she would be able to loan out their money to other people, at interest. As long as they paid her back, nobody would be the wiser!

After unloading most their newfound riches, the four left, gathering provisions for a journey into the unknown. Talk had spread around town about a divine map appearing in the temple. Rolitokovo himself had placed the map, so they had said. After copying the map, the four set out into the unknown, eager to discover great things about the world, and not the least find more new riches!

Soon after the bank was founded, a local merchant protested against it, warning that Rolitokovo himself had declared that one should store ones money, alone, in a personal, secure spot. He went as far as to suggest buying a personal chest and burying it under ones floor. Depositing it in a bank was anything BUT personal or storing it alone, even whether it was secure was to be doubted he said. Unfortunately, many did not listen.

---------------------------------
|| 4 Weeks pass on the surface ||
---------------------------------

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The woodcutter exclaimed, "Hey, it's more than I was getting paid before!" Vinn shook hands with him. He enjoyed this work, everyone benefitted, and since the population here was so small, he could afford to do it in person.

Meanwhile...

Kafar looked down the road as her new vault was hauled toward her now mostly built bank building. The town center had been rebuilt, this time of strong stone. The demand for stone has led to an expansion of quarrying, mining, and related industries. A wagon path had been cleared between the town and its quarries and mines. Things were finally getting done!

As Kafar looked out the window, the teller that she hired was negotiating a loan with a new entrepreneur. The gold loaned out came from the treasure the group of 4 had brought in a month ago. They were still gone, so who would care? The interest on the loan... the teller had been instructed to avoid that subject.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

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\/\\~/~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~/ \~~~~~~~~~~~~   
~~ (*)\ ~~~~~~~
/\/\       /\ /\/\
 | |aa,.,.S|s*|*|*   A group of 2 still observe the spiders, clouds of a summer storm looming above...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Daww, how cute!" "Looks like the adults are set in their ways, but the young'ns learn. They're pretty smart after all." "Maybe they can be raised as pets? If we get the little'ns before they grow up, we could raise them ourselves!" "Sounds kinda cruel you know, and not to mention, their parents have very big mandibles!" "I must admit that is true..." "We should return and ask Traga about this." "Right, I've-" It begins raining. "I've had enough of roughing it out here anyway!"

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   <~~>      <><><>
 <~~>         <>~<>
   aaaa (*)  /\  /\/\     /\
   o==oH     |   | |      |
.,..,o..,.oo,.,.o,.,.o o,.,,.
                     .o.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The wagon shook slightly as it crossed the rocky terrain. It was freezing out, the ground covered with a slight snow. They all covered themselves with the thickest clothing they could get, but it was still cold out, and it was only going to get colder. The wagon bumped.

WHACK!

One corner of the wagon suddenly dropped down, tossing the rearmost of the four off, falling face first into the snow! "Ugh! Dammit!" "What happened?" He looked across. The horses neighed annoyedly. The wheel was stuck in a ditch between some rocks. "Sh*t... we got some work to do!" He got up, brushing the snow off his coat. The rest hopped down. "Hey good thing we brought a shovel eh?" "Yeah good thing we didn't break an axle here, everyone OK?" "Yeah, alright it's not the first time this is going to happen..."

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***<>***<>*<><>*******
~~~~~~~~\__/~\__/~~~~~
 /---\             + +
 |=o=| (*)        ==x=
,=====.,,.+++++,.===x= Kavla Niti, Vinn's home

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Vinn and Kafar looked out the window at the setting sun, its orange glow setting the mostly overcast skies alight, the cloud bottoms glowing red.

"I heard people aren't happy with the interest rates you're setting. There's a reason the old world had strict limits on interest."

"So what? They -will- pay it."

It began to rain again, and rain was blowing into the window. Vinn shut the window.

"If we charge too much interest, our bank will eventually own every piece of money, and the economy will fall back to barter, our money would be useless!"

"So then we mint more coins! We'll own the mint too!"

"Even this has a bleak future I expect. When we've minted 25 gold for every grain of rice, a grain of rice will cost 25 gold. What will we do when there's no more gold left in the mountains to mine?"

Kafar hesitated, then smiled, "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it, love!"

=======================================================================================

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________
][ ][ ][
========Cities:

1) Kavla Niti (59,23)

Population: 123

Pop Cap: 765

Task: Solidifying infrastructure, forming a working economy.

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---------
aaaaaaaaa
---------Groups:

1) Explorers (58,16)

Size: 4

Task: Moving to (56,11)

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||MAP||
 -----

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

                                                                     │
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│≈≈≈≈≈♣≈≈ ♣♣♣''''⌂ ⌂⌂▲▲▲▲⌂⌂ ⌂⌂♣♣♣││♣  └┐│♣│♣│♣ ♣│♣♣♣≈≈♣ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ {○P♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣'''♣ ⌂▲▲▲⌂⌂⌂⌂ ○♣♣♣♣└┤♣  ♣└┤♣│♣│♣ ♣├┐♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣└─≈≈≈≈│
│24                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ─┐♣♣'''⌂ ⌂⌂⌂⌂○⌂♣♣ │♣♣♣♣♣└┐  ♣/└┐│┌┘♣ ♣││♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ┌○♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣└────○⌂ ▲▲⌂⌂└┐♣♣ └┐♣♣♣♣♣│  ♣♣♣│├┘♣♣ ┌┘│♣♣≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ┘♣♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣♣⌂⌂⌂ ▲⌂⌂♣♣│♣♣ ♣│♣♣♣≈≈≈  ≈♣♣├┘♣♣♣ │W└┐♣≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈────○⌂▲ ▲⌂⌂♣♣└┐♣ ♣│..≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈≈♣♣♣┌ ┘♣♣│♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈♣⌂≈≈≈ ≈♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣⌂▲▲ ▲⌂♣♣♣♣└┬ ┐└≈≈≈≈≈≈  ≈≈≈≈≈≈♣│ ♣♣♣└┐♣≈≈ ≈≈≈..≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣♣⌂⌂▲ ▲⌂♣♣♣┌─┘ └┐≈≈≈♣♣♣  ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈┘ ♣♣♣♣└┐♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈└ ──┐♣⌂⌂▲▲ ⌂⌂♣♣⌂│♣♣ ♣└─≈≈≈♣♣  ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ♣♣♣♣♣│♣w ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈♣ ♣♣┌┘≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♣ ♣♣└─○▲▲▲ ○┐┌─○○⌂♣ ♣♣┌≈≈≈≈≈  ♣♣♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣├┐♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈♣ ⌂♣│♣≈≈≈≈│
│32

[Frelock]

Turn 3:

Leef pulled his hood over his head and dashed to the base of the watchtower.  Rain poured all over his body, and mud stuck to his legs.  The area under the watchtower, however, remained relatively dry.  There, Onschuld warmed himself by a small fire.  “Damnable rains,” cursed Leef, “Nothing can get done with this constant drizzle.”

Onschuld smiled, “Be thankful you’re not one of the scouts up north.  I hear the storms are really bad up there.”

Leef grunted, “I don’t envy them, but I sure wish things were better here.  I’m soaked to my skin day in and day out, and the cool breeze from the north doesn’t help anything. 

Onschuld pointed out, “Good thing we have the Hidden City.  The rains don’t fall very much there; we can always take shelter if we need it.”

Leef nodded, “But we still need food.  We can only farm so much on the portion that gets sunlight.  Fishing isn’t so much of a problem, though the storms do make the lake rather treacherous.  Luckily, the same rains that keep us from fishing keep it at a reasonable level.  Ironic how life works, isn’t it?”

“Yea,” Onschuld agreed.  After an uneasy pause, Onschuld asked, “How’s the work on the docks coming?”

“I have to say, Onschuld, your idea to use the upper roots of the Tree as piers for small ships was absolute genius.  Work’s coming along well.  Getting the wood flat enough is challenging, but we’re getting better at it.  With any luck, the docks will be done in three weeks.”  Looking up at the sky, Leef amended, “Unless this rain gets worse...  Anyway, all we have to do after that is engravings, and that can be put off.”

Onschuld said absentmindedly, “And then we have to build the city.”

Leef agreed, “I was thinking of carving it directly into the rock, like how the !!elves!! supposedly dwelt.  Obviously, not nearly as deep or grand as the stories say, just rooms and buildings carved into the back wall.  It may take years to finish, but when it’s done, it will be able to house a whole city’s worth of people.  We still have to get to exploring those caves, though…”  Leef noticed how his friend didn’t seem to be paying attention.  He moved over, closer to the fire.  “Hey, what’s on your mind?”

A moment, and Onschuld sighed, “I’ve just been wanting to get back to the fields.  The rains have rendered three of our northern crop clearings unusable.  Obviously, we aren’t going to starve anytime soon, or even go hungry.  But I like growing things, and all that is here right now is destruction.”

Leef thought about this for a moment, and asked, “How would you like to lead a group of settlers down south?  Tod reported that there were some plains down there that would be great for farming.  We could use a new settlement.  What do you say?”

Onschuld turned to his friend and smiled, “That would be great.  When would I leave?”

“As soon as possible, before these rains get worse.  I’d say a group of twenty would be good.  What are you going to name your settlement?”

Onschuld said immediately, “Zuiden Kust, South Shore.  Fitting, if not especially imaginative.”

“Sounds good,” replied Leef, “I’ll go around and ask for volunteers.  Good luck.”


((The storms in the north persuade the Ipetians to send 20 settlers south of the lake to form a new farming outpost.))

│40                                                                      │
│≈≈≈≈─┬┘♣ ♣♣┌┘⌂♣♣♣ ♣♣♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♣♣≈≈ ≈≈♣♣⌂▲♣♣ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈♣│♣♣ ♣♣│♣░░♣♣ ♣░♣≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈.♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♣♣≈≈ ≈♣♣⌂▲⌂♣♣ ≈≈≈♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈┘♣♣ ♣♣│⌂░░░░ ░░≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈.♣♣♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈♣≈≈≈ ≈──○⌂♣♣≈ ≈≈♣♣≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣♣ ♣♣≈≈L♣░░ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈..♣♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣♣≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈♣♣▲○─≈≈ ≈♣⌂≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣♣ .≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈.♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣.≈≈ ≈≈≈♣≈≈≈≈ ≈♣⌂⌂♣♣≈≈ ≈♣♣≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈♣♣♣ ♣l.≈≈♣♣♣ ♣≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣  ♣♣r♣♣..≈ ≈.♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈┌○♣♣≈≈≈ ≈♣≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣♣│♣♣♣ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣  ♣♣♣♣♣♣.. .♣♣♣♣≈≈≈ ─┘♣♣≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│
│≈≈≈≈≈≈♣♣ ♣♣♣♣└┐♣≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈♣  ♣≈≈≈≈♣.. .○⌂♣♣≈≈≈ ♣♣≈≈≈≈≈≈ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈│