Animas climate map posted ^^^^ post #673.
BirdNES 2: Forge of Empires -- The Animas Valley
- Thread starter Birdjaguar
- Start date
Culture map posted above.
das
Regeneration In Process
Hmm... Deserts, hmm? Hmm...
The culture map looks a bit redundant right now, at least the way it is presented. Have the Asran, the Opulenth and the Luallen already lost all cultural identity?
The culture map looks a bit redundant right now, at least the way it is presented. Have the Asran, the Opulenth and the Luallen already lost all cultural identity?
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Not much to work with this turn; lots of NPCs.
The flying bird brings the message:
Preponderance of the small
Peace, peace and more peace across the Animas was the order of the day as Lords of the land settled into their prosperity. Following the lead of Ereva, The Shizhi of Kana organized his nation into provinces and fixed divisions of land to extend his control and facilitate orderliness. This was accompanied by edicts to force the writing of laws and their standardization across the land. Songs and stories flourished among the common folk. The bureaucracy was further burdened to collect taxes more vigorously, but improved recordkeeping eased the ensuing problems. And for the first time the Shizhi demanded that all lords send forth skilled men to count all that was in the land of Kana. All the people, beasts and crops of Kana were tallied and the lists brought to the king to read and ponder.
At the heart of the great valley the ‘Bear People’ kept to their strange ways and in this time the few strangers who ventured there were turned out and sent forth to their homelands. If they were the least bit reluctant, they joined the newly erected, gruesome displays of torture and degradation that were renewed in number and depravity all along the borders of the Annwfyn and the banks of the river. The bodies of those so ill treated were left hanging upon wooden frames where anyone passing by would see them and know that to venture closer would bring an unpleasant death. Few tested the truth of the message. Watchtowers were built and manned by vigilant warriors who kept watch over all who approached.
In the west the wars of expansion waged by the Gasiriakora came to an end and what was newly acquired was folded into the growing empire. New forts were built along the eastern and southern borders to guard against the periodic raids of the Bear People and any efforts the Ereva might make to recover previously lost lands. In the larger cities paved streets began to appear and new efforts were made to hide the scars of war and conflict. The most important event was the rise in power of the Mesogisepos Soteros cult. This fanatical warrior cult produced the first units of Soterial berzerker infantry.
Little was heard from the northern lands of the Animas. The Sedaya traded north and south, but kept otherwise to themselves. In an eerie quiet that sometimes precedes a storm peasants looked to the skies, seers delved into the innards of beasts and lords kept in touch with the border watch towers, all in search of omens. Only in Ereva was life routine, if a bit less than it had been. While not readily noticeable, things were a bit off: the bureaucracy less efficient, the leaders more distant and corruption more in the open. But peace was a soothing balm. And what of Chim? Little was heard; Kana postured itself as at peace so at the councils of the Animas all were sure that it was still there, but none knew for sure.
“And from the pits of hell will rise Lamed’s beasts, their eyes as red as fire and with thunder sounding with every footfall, and their breath reeking of death and decay. And on the back of each will ride a warrior with eyes of the blackest black and teeth filed sharp and dripping with poison that falls like spring rains. Three of his of his four arms grasp weapons: spear, sword and ax foul with the blood and flesh of the dead and dying, in the fourth, a shield of ebony edged in silver. I see ten thousand of Lamed’s foulest storm from the dark places of the earth and like a storm roar across the land and when they pass, weeping will be all that remains.” Soothsayer of Hinsa Hinga.
NPC nations this turn:
Chim
Ereva
Sedaya (with some direction provided)
Hinsa Hinga
The Animas Valley
Update Eight: Thunder on the Mountain
The flying bird brings the message:
Preponderance of the small
Peace, peace and more peace across the Animas was the order of the day as Lords of the land settled into their prosperity. Following the lead of Ereva, The Shizhi of Kana organized his nation into provinces and fixed divisions of land to extend his control and facilitate orderliness. This was accompanied by edicts to force the writing of laws and their standardization across the land. Songs and stories flourished among the common folk. The bureaucracy was further burdened to collect taxes more vigorously, but improved recordkeeping eased the ensuing problems. And for the first time the Shizhi demanded that all lords send forth skilled men to count all that was in the land of Kana. All the people, beasts and crops of Kana were tallied and the lists brought to the king to read and ponder.
At the heart of the great valley the ‘Bear People’ kept to their strange ways and in this time the few strangers who ventured there were turned out and sent forth to their homelands. If they were the least bit reluctant, they joined the newly erected, gruesome displays of torture and degradation that were renewed in number and depravity all along the borders of the Annwfyn and the banks of the river. The bodies of those so ill treated were left hanging upon wooden frames where anyone passing by would see them and know that to venture closer would bring an unpleasant death. Few tested the truth of the message. Watchtowers were built and manned by vigilant warriors who kept watch over all who approached.
In the west the wars of expansion waged by the Gasiriakora came to an end and what was newly acquired was folded into the growing empire. New forts were built along the eastern and southern borders to guard against the periodic raids of the Bear People and any efforts the Ereva might make to recover previously lost lands. In the larger cities paved streets began to appear and new efforts were made to hide the scars of war and conflict. The most important event was the rise in power of the Mesogisepos Soteros cult. This fanatical warrior cult produced the first units of Soterial berzerker infantry.
Little was heard from the northern lands of the Animas. The Sedaya traded north and south, but kept otherwise to themselves. In an eerie quiet that sometimes precedes a storm peasants looked to the skies, seers delved into the innards of beasts and lords kept in touch with the border watch towers, all in search of omens. Only in Ereva was life routine, if a bit less than it had been. While not readily noticeable, things were a bit off: the bureaucracy less efficient, the leaders more distant and corruption more in the open. But peace was a soothing balm. And what of Chim? Little was heard; Kana postured itself as at peace so at the councils of the Animas all were sure that it was still there, but none knew for sure.
“And from the pits of hell will rise Lamed’s beasts, their eyes as red as fire and with thunder sounding with every footfall, and their breath reeking of death and decay. And on the back of each will ride a warrior with eyes of the blackest black and teeth filed sharp and dripping with poison that falls like spring rains. Three of his of his four arms grasp weapons: spear, sword and ax foul with the blood and flesh of the dead and dying, in the fourth, a shield of ebony edged in silver. I see ten thousand of Lamed’s foulest storm from the dark places of the earth and like a storm roar across the land and when they pass, weeping will be all that remains.” Soothsayer of Hinsa Hinga.
NPC nations this turn:
Chim
Ereva
Sedaya (with some direction provided)
Hinsa Hinga
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: Short and sweet 
So what was the result of the census? How many people dwell within my Kingdom? 
EDIT: Map expansion, how fascinating!
So what was the result of the census? How many people dwell within my Kingdom? EDIT: Map expansion, how fascinating!
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
Do I see metal in the mountains? Men! Drop your bows and carry your picks! Iron Arrowheads will honor our bows!
I bet Lamed is a Lost Boy
I hope I won't die soon, sorry about the trip to atlanta, Orders TOMARROW and revisions later!
I bet Lamed is a Lost Boy
I hope I won't die soon, sorry about the trip to atlanta, Orders TOMARROW and revisions later!
I'm working on converting pop points to people. I have density numbers and need to find some ancient world metric to convert them to people. Remind me in a day or two.OOC: Short and sweet
EDIT: Map expansion, how fascinating!
Stats up in about five minutes.
Abaddon
Deity
NPC nations this turn:
Chim
Ereva
Sedaya (with some direction provided)
Hinsa Hinga
Only three people active in this cradle?!? They are almost lost boys!
Well done to Kana, Gasiriakora and Annwfyn for sticking with it!
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Only three people active in this cradle?!? They are almost lost boys!
Well done to Kana, Gasiriakora and Annwfyn for sticking with it!
OOC: Go away abaddon, praise by you is evil
jalapeno_dude
AKA Panda Judo Eel
Hey BJ, can you PM me the changes in my stats from last turn (I don't have last turn's stats), my current policies, and why I am no longer able to have projects? Thanks. 
to Charles Li, not only has he sent his orders in very early, but they actually fit the template and are clearly written. Thank you sir! 
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
Dance of Joy!tm Dance of Joy! tm
I feel so happy I can die as a single mortal and comand a nation!
Oh wait, I am doing that already!
I feel so happy I can die as a single mortal and comand a nation!
Oh wait, I am doing that already!
I believe that, at this point, Update 8 is complete: all updates, all maps, all stats, all exploration maps, and all the lost boys have been put to bed. If you feel that you are missing something, please let me know.
Update 9 Orders due Saturday June 21st.
This will be another 10 year turn from 451-460
Abaddon
Deity
OOC: Go away abaddon, praise by you is evil
I can't wait for the cradles to meet so you can't avoid me
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
The man stole along the city streets, avoiding the torches. Illara swung low across the night sky, her silver light spilling unwanted onto the cobblestones. It was a good omen, for she always brought calamity, but for the moment he could only see how the light outlined his every move. He would have to be careful.
Every house was utterly silent, and the streets were full of waste. The bards told of a time when they were clear, white ways, broad and gleaming, but those days were long since passed. So were those when Lake Selis had been anything other than a murky pond. Some king of old (few could remember which) had drained and refilled it, lining it with marble and trees, but the marble was slick with mud, and the trees were festooned with vines.
He had used that canopy for cover earlier, passing as he had from his den on the outer rim of the city towards the river. The citadel stood strong on the hill before him, a lone point that jutted above the plain; the River Mirai washed its western slope.
The Grand Market lay before him, a creaking mass of stalls. It was still probably the greatest market in the south of Animas, but that was scarcely important. Thieves wandered it in the daytime, and in the night... well, there was him. He slipped from stall to stall, hiding behind the empty crates and barrels when he heard guards coming. They were far, far too noisy; any man who knew his trade could avoid them.
As he crept through the final few blocks of the city, he contemplated the rampart that rimmed the crown of the hill. It was earthen, and not nearly so formidable as the city walls, taken by itself. But the slopes here rose swiftly, and it was no strange thing that the early rulers should have put their capital here. He avoided yet another patrol, and reached the base of the hill.
Crooked trees had been allowed to grow on the side, and while it might look nicer from afar, it had a harsh, wild look to it. More importantly, it was quite easy to climb. He crawled up on all fours nonetheless, and only slipped three or four times on mossy stones. It was smarter than trying to avoid guards on the zigzagging road, in any case. That would be madness.
Up and upwards still, grabbing thin tree trunks and pulling himself up by them, he made steady progress. Once or twice he startled a squirrel, but he doubted anyone heard anything. Deaf as well as stupid.
Add blind to that list. He climbed a tree in a cat-like fashion, and hopped over onto the rampart. The guard was scarcely awake, and no one ever bothered the royal family unless it was a set of foolish children, to be sure, but even he should have seen the man, should have heard the patter of his feet. Regardless, he would take no chances. He crept up behind him and slit his throat. The body would be found in an hour or two by the next man to take the shift. Plenty of time.
He slipped by the temples to Illara and Pella easily enough, yet cast a wary eye towards the oracle of Biar. He was not a superstitious man, but no one felt comfortable with the god of mysteries afoot. He glanced around at the temple of Oran, ten times the size of any of the others, and took heart. Surely the god of war and strength would approve of his current occupation.
The palace was immediately before him now, set into the slope so that he could leap onto the roof easily. He crawled on top of it, careful not to make too much noise, for it would not do to get caught at this stage. Just across the palace was the great inner courtyard, overlooking the river and the beautiful plains beyond. Or so he had been told; in the night they looked more like a dull gray vastness, with perhaps a few huts gathered on the riverside.
He did pause for a moment at the breathtaking sweep of the Jeweled Path that rose above the plain: a swath of white that cut through the dark sky. It almost looked like the gods had spilt milk across black velvet. But he was not a philosopher, and there was work to do.
He slipped down on a loose vine of ivy, and settled quietly into the courtyard. Now, to search for the king’s window...
A sound stopped the man short, and he darted behind a bush, straining his ears. Echoing clear and cold across the courtyard, it tore at his nerves.
Ale amaru, ale tura,
Skena gevium, leve skena.
Ale kavoa, ad anima,
Velem aleno, tla Aria.
It was a tune he recognized; that anyone would recognize. He remembered faintly that his mother had sung it to him, and his eyes ran hot with tears. He waited until the woman strayed too near, her voice a little hoarse with passion, and grabbed her from behind, clapping a hand over her mouth as he stabbed her in the gut. Blood poured over his hands as she collapsed; he padded quickly and lightly towards the King’s room.
The King, for his part, was in a euphoric glow; the woman in his bed was not the Queen. Drunk and in love, he did not even hear the man entering the room, though she did; she called out to the servant to leave and mind that the King was not disturbed. A dagger silenced her, and before the King could raise his voice to shout for the guards, he was dead, the knife in his chest five times, his belly three, and his head, once.
The man leapt over the window, slipped over the rampart (so much easier from the inside), and tumbled down the hill. Noise was not so much an issue anymore, for the shout had been raised behind him. Perhaps the guard had been found, perhaps that strange woman. It would only be a matter of time now.
Hiram the Fifth, the Fat, the Lecherous, was dead.
He made his way through the quickly lightening streets, even as runners brought the news to every corner of the city: the King had been murdered at dawn. The murderer was not known.
The man was now in the alleyway where he had stood three months before, and there stood the same cloaked and hooded figure. He bowed.
“I trust you will find my services satisfactory.”
“Certainly,” the figure said, his voice in that clipped accent of the nobility.
“And my payment?”
“Here it is.” The figure held out a purse, silver jangled slightly in the pocket. But the man was never one to leave a job half finished, and as the figure reached out, he slipped by the outstretched hand and drew a knife across his throat. Five dead; not a bad night at all.
But as it happened, one of the five was not dead.
Queen Aria clutched her belly and moaned in pain as one of the servants tried desperately to tend to her wound. She had lain unnoticed in the courtyard as the other servants fussed about the obviously dead body of the king. Only her ever loyal handmaiden Lila was still at her side, and she wondered dimly if she would be able to have a child again... or even breathe. Darkness took her.
As a side note, here’s the translation of the song Aria sings:
Here it is quiet, here it is cold,
Steals the thief, quickly he steals.
Here it is deathly, here lies my soul,
Without your blessing, Aria dies.
They lose something in the translation.
The tune goes (if you’re musically inclined):
A B A A down to E, F E D E,
D E D C down to A, B D G A.
It’s a folktune; the words are actually about an earlier Aria, Queen of the old Erevan King Valerian, who died in childbirth.
As to my story: Bwahahahahahahaha.
Every house was utterly silent, and the streets were full of waste. The bards told of a time when they were clear, white ways, broad and gleaming, but those days were long since passed. So were those when Lake Selis had been anything other than a murky pond. Some king of old (few could remember which) had drained and refilled it, lining it with marble and trees, but the marble was slick with mud, and the trees were festooned with vines.
He had used that canopy for cover earlier, passing as he had from his den on the outer rim of the city towards the river. The citadel stood strong on the hill before him, a lone point that jutted above the plain; the River Mirai washed its western slope.
The Grand Market lay before him, a creaking mass of stalls. It was still probably the greatest market in the south of Animas, but that was scarcely important. Thieves wandered it in the daytime, and in the night... well, there was him. He slipped from stall to stall, hiding behind the empty crates and barrels when he heard guards coming. They were far, far too noisy; any man who knew his trade could avoid them.
As he crept through the final few blocks of the city, he contemplated the rampart that rimmed the crown of the hill. It was earthen, and not nearly so formidable as the city walls, taken by itself. But the slopes here rose swiftly, and it was no strange thing that the early rulers should have put their capital here. He avoided yet another patrol, and reached the base of the hill.
Crooked trees had been allowed to grow on the side, and while it might look nicer from afar, it had a harsh, wild look to it. More importantly, it was quite easy to climb. He crawled up on all fours nonetheless, and only slipped three or four times on mossy stones. It was smarter than trying to avoid guards on the zigzagging road, in any case. That would be madness.
Up and upwards still, grabbing thin tree trunks and pulling himself up by them, he made steady progress. Once or twice he startled a squirrel, but he doubted anyone heard anything. Deaf as well as stupid.
Add blind to that list. He climbed a tree in a cat-like fashion, and hopped over onto the rampart. The guard was scarcely awake, and no one ever bothered the royal family unless it was a set of foolish children, to be sure, but even he should have seen the man, should have heard the patter of his feet. Regardless, he would take no chances. He crept up behind him and slit his throat. The body would be found in an hour or two by the next man to take the shift. Plenty of time.
He slipped by the temples to Illara and Pella easily enough, yet cast a wary eye towards the oracle of Biar. He was not a superstitious man, but no one felt comfortable with the god of mysteries afoot. He glanced around at the temple of Oran, ten times the size of any of the others, and took heart. Surely the god of war and strength would approve of his current occupation.
The palace was immediately before him now, set into the slope so that he could leap onto the roof easily. He crawled on top of it, careful not to make too much noise, for it would not do to get caught at this stage. Just across the palace was the great inner courtyard, overlooking the river and the beautiful plains beyond. Or so he had been told; in the night they looked more like a dull gray vastness, with perhaps a few huts gathered on the riverside.
He did pause for a moment at the breathtaking sweep of the Jeweled Path that rose above the plain: a swath of white that cut through the dark sky. It almost looked like the gods had spilt milk across black velvet. But he was not a philosopher, and there was work to do.
He slipped down on a loose vine of ivy, and settled quietly into the courtyard. Now, to search for the king’s window...
A sound stopped the man short, and he darted behind a bush, straining his ears. Echoing clear and cold across the courtyard, it tore at his nerves.
Ale amaru, ale tura,
Skena gevium, leve skena.
Ale kavoa, ad anima,
Velem aleno, tla Aria.
It was a tune he recognized; that anyone would recognize. He remembered faintly that his mother had sung it to him, and his eyes ran hot with tears. He waited until the woman strayed too near, her voice a little hoarse with passion, and grabbed her from behind, clapping a hand over her mouth as he stabbed her in the gut. Blood poured over his hands as she collapsed; he padded quickly and lightly towards the King’s room.
The King, for his part, was in a euphoric glow; the woman in his bed was not the Queen. Drunk and in love, he did not even hear the man entering the room, though she did; she called out to the servant to leave and mind that the King was not disturbed. A dagger silenced her, and before the King could raise his voice to shout for the guards, he was dead, the knife in his chest five times, his belly three, and his head, once.
The man leapt over the window, slipped over the rampart (so much easier from the inside), and tumbled down the hill. Noise was not so much an issue anymore, for the shout had been raised behind him. Perhaps the guard had been found, perhaps that strange woman. It would only be a matter of time now.
Hiram the Fifth, the Fat, the Lecherous, was dead.
He made his way through the quickly lightening streets, even as runners brought the news to every corner of the city: the King had been murdered at dawn. The murderer was not known.
The man was now in the alleyway where he had stood three months before, and there stood the same cloaked and hooded figure. He bowed.
“I trust you will find my services satisfactory.”
“Certainly,” the figure said, his voice in that clipped accent of the nobility.
“And my payment?”
“Here it is.” The figure held out a purse, silver jangled slightly in the pocket. But the man was never one to leave a job half finished, and as the figure reached out, he slipped by the outstretched hand and drew a knife across his throat. Five dead; not a bad night at all.
But as it happened, one of the five was not dead.
Queen Aria clutched her belly and moaned in pain as one of the servants tried desperately to tend to her wound. She had lain unnoticed in the courtyard as the other servants fussed about the obviously dead body of the king. Only her ever loyal handmaiden Lila was still at her side, and she wondered dimly if she would be able to have a child again... or even breathe. Darkness took her.
As a side note, here’s the translation of the song Aria sings:
Here it is quiet, here it is cold,
Steals the thief, quickly he steals.
Here it is deathly, here lies my soul,
Without your blessing, Aria dies.
They lose something in the translation.
The tune goes (if you’re musically inclined):
A B A A down to E, F E D E,
D E D C down to A, B D G A.
It’s a folktune; the words are actually about an earlier Aria, Queen of the old Erevan King Valerian, who died in childbirth.
As to my story: Bwahahahahahahaha.
Well done, I hope it ties to your upcoming orders.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: I hate war.
