The four figures ran quickly through the night. Their arms weren't quite long enough to go on all fours, but they nonetheless managed a sort of gallop using their available limbs.
The weathered rock barely slowed them down, and they shifted from horizontal to slanted movement without pause. Their hands and feet quickly found and grasped the necessary holds, and they found themselves atop the vaguely flat surface of the outcropping. They slowed their pace at this, crawling nimbly on all fours, sniffing at the ground. Svac, the de facto leader, moved immediately to the plant that grew in the center.
Satisfied that there was nothing else of value, the others joined around the small weed. Svac licked the plant once, then curled his tongue around it and pulled it into his mouth. He crunched once, twice, then shifted it in his mouth. Another half-crunch, and he spit out two tiny flowers, then finished eating the plant. Another poked and sniffed the flowers, but quickly agreed with the leader- they weren't edible. A third dug his fingers into where the plant had been. He felt moisture, but not enough- whatever water was here was as transient as the plant had been.
"Good plant?" one asked.
"Decent," Svac replied. His tone made it clear that it was not a delicacy.
One abruptly clambered down the side, and another took this opportunity to stand upright and make a series of booming hyena giggles into the night air. A response came a few seconds later. From the direction, Svac could tell the other group was ahead of them, though not by much.
The deserter scurried back up, informing the rest that the alcove he had spied and investigated contained only the faintest hints of moisture- perspiration from the air.
Svac looked around, and pointed to another outcropping. They scurried down the rock and began running across the broken ground. Another rock, another edible plant. Perhaps the next one would be better, but they knew it unlikely. Treasure was valuable because it was rare, after all.
25 Elders research stone tools, especially those for digging.
25 children gather stones and forage what they can. They also collect sticks from the forest, if they can reasonably make the trip.
20 Men and 20 Women focus on shelter. By default, they split their time between digging, gathering dead sticks and logs from the forest, and using the holes and wood to produce crude, half-buried shelters in the shadows of rocky outcroppings. If caves can be found, they primarily gather wood; if they find convenient sites for shelters that don't really support digging, they just gather wood and build.
25 Men and 25 Women forage for food, probably more in the forest, but checking everywhere.
4 Men and 4 Women explore the surrounding badlands. Primary goal is caves, springs, and other natural resources. Secondary goal is useful wildlife or unusual features.
1 Man and 1 Woman explore the beach. Again, checking for caves, rivers, etc. is primary goal, wildlife is secondary priority.
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Topic: Civ Rise - The Beginning (Read 5556 times)