Late Dark Ages has come for everyone else.First Lair finishes the great tunnel project. There is much rejoicing. Still, with most of the population of the two lairs underground, and Second Lair greatly diminished in size, food is scarce and for the first time true hunger is felt in the population. The old chief, seeing a chance to regain his fame of old and become a powerful figure as before, sets off to find a solution to this issue. Taking a group of his followers he leaves the Lair, searching for a renewable and less erratic form of food. He leaves to invent farming.
Third Lair ponders the question of the depths. Soon it is decided, a way to keep the pressure out, yet let the Kriblits interact. A large shell, big enough to hold five Kriblits and a stock of ore is made. Having a reinforced top and sides, yet a bottom that is only a separate piece of shell. The idea is that the water and shell inside the shell will keep the Pressure survivable and when they reach the bottom they may mine and dig as needed. Much like a diving bell.
Second Lair still waits, seeming greatly diminished without it's favorite sons. Still, with the raising 'cost' of food the few inhabitants gain much influence and prestige. For the first time in Kriblit society a class not of the aristocracy (like the smith or the chief) or the peasants (everyone else) but a new class of merchants and skill laborers emerges. Only history will show how far this class will spread and how powerful it will become!
The Shell Bell is begun its construction.
The scouts have returned! Most are missing, some are being carried on others backs, and all have no clothes left, but they bring tales of a great mountain range that seems to pierce the top of the world to the north, and far to the south a massive dome filled with other domes surrounded by a great many other domes and half-fish.
They are almost cheered as much as the tunnel completion! But after the celebrations are over, many rumors start up about 'the survivalists'. Some say they ate the missing ones, some say their lack of clothes (and lack of desire to get more) means they ate all their clothes and found them to taste horrible, but filling-ish. The biggest one, though, is that when the food runs out, they'll be the only ones left in Second Lair. Hopefully the Chief will be back soon with his agricultural solution, otherwise fear and hunger may bring down Second Lair and its new merchant class with it.
With the return of light, scouts are sent out to see how the world has changed. Colonists from the Makeshift return to the main colony down below, leaving 20 or so to man the makeshift. Kelp Bark is continued to be harvested, and ways to "break" the Perks are discussed.
"The Makeshift" is renamed to "The Fortress" due to its defensible position.
Aside from two large (dolphin-size) new skeletons nearby and two more of those massive spears of unknown material lying between the bones and some sand shifting, nothing much seems to have changed.
The Perkbreakers get nowhere, as they all argue for their idea as stubbornly as the Perks do everything related to the Floatune.
A Fortress Colonist has claimed a balcony! He is demanding kelp bark, metal, and several pieces of something transparent!
A Grounded Colonist has claimed a warehouse! He is scribbling pictures of metal, mechanisms, and ice-making!
Development on a good adhesive begins.
As far into the cave as they can, the researchers begin the search for a sticky material.
The dark situation is the cause for great debate among the Caerri Scholars, and a stroke of genius based off the simplest things may a sufficient stopgap for a cure to be found.
The little cleaning organisms that were packaged with the colonies should still be similar to baseline as they aren't directly connected the the Caerri Bio-structure. Their biological makeup will be used to diagnose the difference, and affected portions that are absolutely necessary will be excised and replaced with healthy tissue. After that several nodes of exceptional of incredibly easily infected tissue will be made, so that when they die they seal up and trap the infection inside. After the infection has been trapped it will be analyzed, and a cure found immediately.
After the danger has past enough the little garbage cleaners will be further modified with an additional function, they will check up on the health off the nearby biological structures periodically.
All goes well, until they try to examine the captured infection, on contact with a living tool it bursts through the tissue and infects the researchers and building! the building is quickly sliced and pushed away from the colony and the hole healed up, but not before much fluids stream out into the water. The Caerri will need different tools to attempt analysis again, and hopefully nothing will be attracted by the released fluids.
The Peretics approach cautiously.
One walks into the crater of green crystals, and screams in pain a few seconds later as he begins to turn into more of it. The rest flee!
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Topic: Smalls of Oceania (Read 20902 times)