Now there is a gap. On one side of the gap are trees. They appear to be leering at the other side of the gap, where there are evenly spaced watchtowers, all dark spikes and suchlike. The gap itself contains nothing. This situation could continue unchanged for quite some time, but;
Now there is a sound, much like that of a branch pulled taut to the ground being released and sending someone or something on it that resembles in noise-making facilities a bear being ridden by a young human man. There is a whistling, some sparks as a god protects some flying object from the corrosive forces of nothing, and then a bear bears down upon a darkling guard standing upon the top of one of the watchtowers. He barely has time to scream before being crushed.
The bear's rider jumps off and looks around.
It is very empty without trees, he thinks. Better hurry up with the whole holy mission thing.
He extracts the guard's polearm from under the bear, snaps it in half, and heads down into the tower wielding both pieces. Several minutes later he emerges from the bottom, slightly shaven and wearing what might pass for clothes, if clothes were not meant to be worn by men with a slight wolfish streak, which they aren't, so hooray.
Sufficiently civilized not to get thrown out of a city straight away, he runs across the plains.
Now there is a city. It is made of bricks, perhaps, maybe wood, possibly even stone. A thousand people live there? Ten thousand?
The point is.
A man walks towards the city. He is wearing a hooded cloak. Under the shadow of the hood glow two yellow, animal eyes. Two guards are standing by the gate, wearing a cheery yellow livery. As the cloaked figure approaches, one of them calls out to him.
"Hey there! You coming in, then?"
The man stops, appears to think for a moment. Then; "Yes."
"Right you are. And what is your business? Only we have to ask."
After a short pause, the man answers; "I come to [teach the truth]"
The guard nods. "Right you are then. In you come."
The man walks on. After a while the second guard turns to the other, and says; "Shouldn't we have, like, asked him some more questions? He looked weird with that cloak and everything."
"Nah, you heard the man. He said he... uh. Well... You heard him"
"...yeah."
Now there is a square in the morning.. The cloaked man has found some things and has dragged them together to make a stage. Out of general curiosity, several people have gathered round it. Now the man steps up onto the stage and begins to speak. What he says does not matter, for the people hear what they want to. By noon there is a large crowd. By evening the whole city has heard his words. The next day, hundreds leave the city, following the man. After a while he points them down a road which leads north, says others will meet them there, that he shall arrive in a few weeks or so.
Now it is three months later. A few days travel south of Torva Silva, by a small river, lies the city of Visaedes. At first it was not more than a camp, but it has grown large now. A man approaches the palisade walls, still wearing his hooded cloak. Behind him trails a group of cheering followers, grateful for proof that the promises of a city of nature were not idle. He marches under the hastily-constructed gate, passing the rows of tents and shacks. He nods with approval at the vine-covered stone shrines. He angrily overturns the stalls of merchants who were drawn to the city for profit instead of fervor. The people cry out in happiness when they see him, and follow him, to the center of the city, where a large stone platform has been built, covered with crude statues, of trees, and beasts, and hooded strangers.
He climbs onto the platform at the center, and addresses the people. It is a speech they have all heard before. For many, the wording is the same. For others, the wording has changed, as they have changed. But instead of finishing like he did before, the man continues.
My god has called you here, he says. He has called you here to free you, and he shall. The empires of evil shall fall before us, brought low by the unstoppable force of nature. If there are any among you who, despite coming here, to the city reverted, do not wish to fulfil this destiny, leave now.
None move. Even if there were those who wished to, the crowd is too thick.
Very well, he continues. See now what you shall receive; and with that, he removes his cape, revealing his wolflike features. If there are any who do not wish to receive this gift, do not fear, for it is not required. Only your loyalty.
There a suggestion of shock in the crowd, but for the most part they are silent.
Now, if you wish to receive your gift, simply throw your hands to the sky, and ask of Torva Vis to bless you as he has blessed me.
And they did, mostly. And Torva Vis made them into images of the first; men with aspects of wolves. Larger than humans, and stronger, yet with decreased intelligence, on the basis that intelligence implies civilization. And he named the first Wolf, and the rest he named the wolfmen, to be his followers for evermore.
Or something.
And the wolfmen travelled from the city of Visaedes, to found new camps. Though ever careful to preserve nature as far as possible they were industrious; they crafted weapons of bone and rock with which to drive humans from the more important natural locations, and always sent weaponry to the stockpiles in Visaedes. Visaedes itself was expanded with stone temples and walls, with soil channels linking all the buildings to the nature outside; trees grew all over the city, dappling the streets in green shade.
And on occasion, the warriors of Visaedes would venture north, to the boundary of Torva Silva, and sack a few watchtowers. But it was mere practice for the promised strike which would free Torva Silva from the Hollow One's clutch; that would come later, when they had truly prepared.
Summary of everything I did this turn:
-This human orphan washes up in Torva Silva, gets raised by wolves. To let the uncivilzed child survive, Torva Nemus (the tree) gives him the teeth, claws, and fur of a wolf.
-Just before he dies, Torva Vis notices him, and turns him into a herald, who he sends out of Torva Silva to recruit humans.
-Wolf does so, recruiting people from the populations of many human cities.
-They all gather in Visaedes (think ruined central american temple city)
-Torva Vis makes them all like Wolf, and calls them wolfmen
-The wolfmen spread across the land and prepare for war
Actions:
Guide Populace: recruit humans 2/3AP
Create Subrace: Wolfmen 3/3AP
I may not have internet access next week. Regardless my action will be to evolve physically, so, whatever.
Author
Topic: Fifth (?) Lords of Creation (Read 10594 times)