DaftNES 2022

Spoiler Update 3 :
Deqlides mysticism is founded by Orestes the Wise. It is partly influenced by Toltec and Tomag beliefs.
Grape gardens/wine groves are improved.
Some large-scale hunting takes place. It is successful on this occasion: a glut of meat and hides are gathered. However, herds of game animals are noted to be getting smaller over time.
Trade is conducted with the Toltec, though this is interrupted by fighting.
Dire Boar domestication is not successful and causes casualties. Some are temporarily tamed but cannot be safely kept. The beasts are eventually driven back from the area.
Trade takes place with the boat-peoples along the coast.
Ultec refugees settle in Deqline lands.
Toltec warriors fight skirmishes with Deqline hunters. There are casualties.
Some people are captured as slaves by Toltec.
LP: 1
AP: 5/6 (food surplus +, well motivated +, trade +; injured/sick -2AP, maintenance -2AP)
Faith level: 1.25 (Deqlides Mysticism)
Government level: 1 (tribal council)


Deqline Culture Turn 4
Terrance888

The Deqline Culture is successful, but the mystics know they may easily become victims of their own success. Their growing riches made them targets for raids and their growing population is decreasing their access to food. And their Speakers know that their neighbors are not as easy going as the Deqline themselves. And that without a united policy the tribes may be picked apart by enemies. The fate of the Ultecs show that would happen to the weak.

The regular festivals no longer lead inevitably to the great hunts. Now, combined the tribes coordinate their hunting and their territories. Speakers of their various councils, under the auspices of the Mystics, divy up the responsibilities and the glory, deciding what actions to take united.

LEADERSHIP - Collective Action
The great questions of Peace and War, Great Hunts and Festivals to be left to the whims of individual tribal councils. The Great Councils of the Speakers work with the Mystics to chart a course to the future, bringing their decisions to the local councils to implement. Local questions are still left to local councils.

ACTION 1 - The Great Hunts and Festivals
The Great Hunts continue, although their goals changed over time. No longer is the goal to kill all or most. Each Hunt is almost a war, practicing different methods, and often focusing on captures over kills. Depending on action of neighbors, armed conflict can be organized as a hunt itself. The Mystics keep a close eye on the local game populations, to avoid overhunting. In scarcer times, stored wine will be let to flow, distracting the tribes people in a festival of grapes and wine, instead of meat and stew.

ACTION 2 - Armor for the Frontiers
To avoid depopulation of the frontiers, armor of fur and wood is crafted, and given to the tribes who dwell in areas notably dangers. Although it could be used for day to day hunting, it is meant to give the tribespeople a chance to survive a coordinated attack by neighboring warriors long enough to rally the rest of the tribes.

Additionally, hunting lands between tribes are regularly rotated at the Great Councils, giving them opportunities to recuperate or defend the tribe, as well as intermingle as they exchange lands.

ACTION 3 - Coordinated Retaliation
Instead of piecemeal raiding of individual tribes, the policy of war will be headed by the council. Small scale raiding will be responded in force, tit for tat, and Speakers will deescalate while warriors pressure. Greater deprivations will be threatened with war, and war will be fought for victory. The Deqline way of war treats their enemies as but predator and prey, using fire and pack tactics to drive enemies out of defended areas and into kill zones, to be captured (as hostages) or to be massacred. Hostages are put to labor, but they are not enslaved per se. Rather, they are allowed to join the Deqline by renouncing their original tribes or as part of a peace agreement, or they are put to death if they choose meaningless resistance.

If we face on war on all fronts, so be it. However, if only one enemy presents itself, then the pressures of a united tribe, striking with continuous pressure and capturing many foes should either lead to peace, or replacement.

ACTION 4 - Great Domestication
The many kinds of animals captured by the modified hunts, especially Goats, will be targets of domestication.

ACTION 5 - Hitting Rocks
There are shiny rocks, and the Mystics seek their secrets.

DIPLOMACY
The Deqlides prefer peace and trade, and have expressed such with their populous neighbors, the Toltecs. If peace is rejected, then war would target disrupting the food supplies and freeing the slaves, ultimately the desolation of their cities by starvation. However, with so many benefits of peace, the choice is left to them theirs.

The Alicorn are but boogeymen. I would expect their raiding to provoke coordinated response, although I'm uncertain how much they would persist once they realized they would be retreading the ground of their ancestors.

Note 1 : I dislike writing contingency type orders. Also, if there's a culture of open orders I will indulge. Everything is out in the open.

Note 2 : At my population level and development, I would like a more militia style military response for the short term.

Decorations -
Previous - Wolf fang necklaces, wood ash markings, grape leaf skirts
New - Fur cloaks and armor, decorated tents

Words -
Uwuca: Wolves
Tila: Grapes/Berries
Tileen: Grape Juice/Grape Bunches
Effica: Creation/Crafting, especially of tools or weapons
Cunen: Speaker
Nish: Hide Tent
Ven: Ditch
Tilaveen: Grape-Ditch, or specifically a valley with noticeably bountiful harvests
Tilish: Grape-tent, or specifically those constructed by the mystics
Urong
 
Toltec Orders

LP: 1 : Word of smoking island has made it back to Tecnoclaen. We must explore and take note of what interesting herbs and animals reside there. Settle a small outpost if possible.
AP: 4/7

1: Stagnant ponds breed irritable mosquitos. More work is done around Tecnoclaen to enlarge the waterways futher, and we will stock them with fish! They will eat the bugs that harass and make us ill. Happy full bellies too when we harvest the fish.
2: The new sea is bountiful! There is so much to explore along the coasts as well as the smoking island. We fell many trees building larger and better ships. Many early designs flounder, but we establish ourselves amongst the waves eventually.
3: With trade flowing through the land, all goods must move easily. Basic road building begins to be planned out, with difficult passes cleared
4: Arm our warriors* (I am not sure if i need to spend this or it is already done when I created the warriors?) If I don't need to spend here, please focus instead on domestication of our herd animals that our hunters follow across the plains.

Military: 1 warrior

Our warriors will focus on having a presence on our "border" with the Deqline. Digging in and stocked with supplies they ensure our trade flows and any hunters straying into our lands are pushed back. We don't want to engage unless provoked.
 
Tribe/Culture name - Axti

Action Point (AP) spending:
Clear some of the jungle from around the villages for more wood.
Build wooden housing in the north east hex
Use boats and nets to fish around river outlet.
Build large stone guardian spirit monument (2AP)
.Leadership Point (LP) spending - The Carver priests form a central council of chief priests to resolve inter tribe disputes. To celebrate they carve the above monument of unity.
 
An explination of the Oxlen counting system
The Oxlen initially used a base five counting system, Ba(1) fa(2) la(3) sa(4) pen(5), with two additional tiers of counting for larger numbers. Ox(herds) was used to separate the first two digits when spoken. om(large) to separate the third digit.
the Left most digit is always the lowest place number, and a digit is only added if the count exceeds 5. If there is no number, what would later be zero, the place is left blank.
some example of how some base 10 numbers would be rendered in the Oxlen counting system
69: would convert to 432, or Saoxlaomfa
42: would convert to 231 or FaoxlaomBa
101: would convert to 1-4, or BaomSa
24: would convert to 44, of Laoxla
25: would convert to 54, or penoxsa

When it came time to record numbers on clay tablets for counting, each digit is a single character, with the lowest being the one furthest to the left, and the highest the furthest to the right.
counting.png
They are designed to be quickly added to, and to be smoothed out as needed in the clay, as long as it has not been cooked.
 
Turn 4 - High Neolithic / Chalcolithic (continued)

[music listened to while updating]

This era saw a turning point in many parts of the human-inhabited world; populations in several areas were growing far beyond what could be supported by a return to traditional hunter-gathering. The crafts of metalworking, seafaring, pottery, and construction of stone monuments all saw gradual improvements.

---

In the west, the Alicorn culture maintained its fearsome reputation, and began raiding into neighbouring territories to acquire loot and captives. Being outnumbered by their neighbours, it is likely there was a deliberate effort to increase the population by kidnapping people and slowly integrating them into the Alicorn ways, rather than treating them purely as slaves. Tentative efforts by the Boat Peoples to settle villages along the coast were also quashed by Alicorn attacks, with more captives being taken. Efforts by the Yorndyr and Deqline to retaliate into Alicorn lands were likely made difficult by the dense forest and the fearsome predators that stalked there. All Alicorn settlements also seem to have been hilltop positions, giving an advantage to defenders.

The result was a society made up of various ethnic groups with varying degrees of loyalty. But it seems the founding myth of the Alicorn and its legendary heroes formed a kind of unifying bond. The tradition of giant stone-raisings also spread here from the valleys of the Yorndyr; however, Alicorn stone circles were inscribed with petroglyphs, meant to preserve the stories of their founders. These glyphs may actually be the first examples of proto-writing in the west.

Meanwhile, the monument-building of the Yorndyr culture reached a new peak, but this may have represented acts of religious desperation rather than a healthy society. There are signs of violence and even human sacrifice at this time, as a growing population struggled against both a harsh climate and Alicorn raids from the south.

The first Yorndyr artefacts of tin and silver date from this time, but it seems metal working was still a very small niche in their society, and these artefacts were not traded widely. Meanwhile, domesticated wolf-dogs and knowledge of bow-making spread throughout the north.

Spoiler Yorndyr culture - NPC :

Boats are constructed
2AP invested into raising a large new stone circle.

LP - elite hunter training / survival challenge

Tin / silver ores discovered

LP: 1
AP: 2/5 (food shortage -, sick/injured-, well motivated +, upkeep -2AP)
Faith level: 1.66 (Northern syncretic mythology)
Government level: 0.5 (hunter-warrior chieftains)
Unity: 70%


Spoiler Alicorn tribe - Thomas.berubeg :

Carved stone monument built, telling the heroic stories of the Alicorn mythology
Houses were built.
Cultivation of local cereals is somewhat successful. The harvest is most useful for animal feed during winter.

Cow herds can’t be grown much further due to the lack of open grazing in the forest and the many predators.

Raids were directed at neighbouring lands with success. Prisoners and food were taken from Yorndyr, Vyrsa and Deqline cultures.
Settlers from Kedukaln were also captured and integrated over time.
Around half the population are now descended from non-Alicorn, creating some tensions.
There were injuries from fighting humans and animals.

LP: 1
AP: 3/5 (adequate food =, injuries -, well motivated +, disunity -, maintenance 1AP)
Faith level: 1.5 (Alicorn mysticism)
No government
Unity: 60%


Spoiler Vyrsa tribe - NPC :

Minor nomadic tribe. A mix of Yorndyr and Chappa-Eih stock.

They have fine stone tools, basic textiles, animal hides, bows and tents.

The people busy themselves with hunting, gathering and surviving.


The western islands were home to rising populations, which could no longer be fed by traditional gathering and hunting. Trade routes began to be focused eastwards due to developments elsewhere on the continent, and the islands produced little that was valuable on their own - copper was known as a curiosity, with copper ores being mainly used for colourful mineral pigments, and even building material. Boats and seafarers were increasingly turned to fishing, rather than trading. Harsh weather made this extremely perilous in winter, so survival of fishing villages often depended on the quality of the summer catch - which would have been smoked, salted or stored in primitive ice-houses to last as long as possible.

Despite a decrease in the trade of luxuries, the main island seemed to rebound as a cultural centre at this time. The religion of the islanders had been spreading and influencing the mainlanders for many generations.There is evidence that, in prosperous years, large ceremonies and festivals were held here, drawing visitors from Yorndyr and Deqline peoples on the mainland - some of which would end up settling, bringing wolf-dogs with them in the process. There was a sudden growth in the use of stone as a building material, for sturdy weather-proof houses as well as ritual sites. The Kedukaln are also known to have had a strong musical tradition even at this time, based around the use of ritual drums - the ‘Do Mauk’ or Whalesong.

All evidence suggests a relatively peaceful culture, however it was not without violence. Shortages of food, and clashes over gathering and hunting rights on land, would regularly cause young adventurers to seek their fortunes on the mainland. Legends also describe this as a time of packs of bandits taking to the waters, preying upon unwary seafarers - and perhaps some of the first sea battles in human history.

Spoiler Kedukaln culture - Angst :

1AP - Fishing is expanded
2AP - Stoneworking expanded. Stone-built housing.
2AP - rituals and festivals, accompanied by music

The islands become major ritual centres, attracting devotees from the mainland. Many end up settling there.

The population expands, held together by culture and religion.

Rogue seafarers and pirates are unchallenged, continuing to take a toll on trade.

LP: 1
AP: 4/7 (food shortage -, well motivated +, trade +, piracy/corruption -, maintenance -3AP)
Faith level: 2.5 (Tomag mythology)
Government level: 1.5 (primitive theocracy)
Unity: 60%


Spoiler Kerutumos tribe - NPC :

Influenced by: Kerukal - Angst

LP: 1
AP: 3/4 (adequate food =, well motivated +, trade =, maintenance -2AP)
Faith level: 2 (Tomag mythology)
Government level: 1 (primitive theocracy)
Unity: 80%


There is a complex picture at this time on the borderlands between the Deqline and Toltec cultures, with trade, cultural exchange, and violent raids all taking place.

For the Deqline, traditional hunting became something more ritualised, with taboos put in place to prevent the local game from being exhausted. The demand for more reliable food sources may have driven the re-domestication of native goats that occurred at this time, which could be bred for meat and even milk. Still food became increasingly scarce, especially as groups of Sea Peoples from the western isles began to arrive and integrate into Deqline culture.

Deqline peoples seem to have been under pressure from Toltec warriors in the south, who were increasingly well-armed, with weapons such as poison-tipped arrows, and were able to extract tribute from traders and travellers in the borderlands. At the same time, Alicorn raiders arrived from the north, who had a small but elite core of hunter-warriors. It is not believed the Deqline had any kind of warrior-caste as such, but relied upon their hunters to see off these threats. It is known that the hunters were often equipped with a form of protective clothing in the form of early lamellar armour - made of layers of flexible tree bark and treated animal hides.

Meanwhile, the trade situation changed as Toltec seafarers began to colonise the nearby volcanic island that occupied the northern part of the central sea, and soon came into contact with the fringes of the emerging Chappa Eih civilization to the east. A settlement rapidly grew up on the island, benefitting as a stepping-stone between the western cultures and the Chappa Eih - and by extension, the entire trade network of the eastern continent.

Grapes were also cultivated here in fertile soils, and Deqline peoples are known to have a presence here - either brought as slaves of the Toltec, or arriving as willing immigrants and adventurers from the west. Soon the island was producing wine, and trading in pottery and copper from the east, in exchange for animal hides and herbs from the west. Though it likely continued to offer tribute and be officially subservient to Tecnoclaen, in practice the Toltec leaders had no practical ways to enforce rule on the island, and the peoples took on a new identity as the Akoltec.

Around the same time, the Chappa Eih began to colonise the island of Marad in the south, bringing them into closer and regular contact with the Toltec.

The demand for eastern goods was considerable. It also seems to have driven the exploitation of gold ores in the Deqline lands, and the beginnings of gold smelting and gold working as a trade item, perhaps to counter the growing competition in wine. Meanwhile, aristocrats of Toltec society are known to have traded their finest carved ivory in order to import Oxlen glazed pottery - artefacts that had travelled a remarkable distance across the world, often taking many years and passing through many hands in order to do so.

Tecnoclaen itself continued to grow, shrugging off periods of illness as the surrounding waterways were cleaned up and some turned into fish ponds, which had several benefits - the fish ate troublesome insect larvae and also provided food in turn for humans. The tradition of deliberately cultivating certain ornamental varieties of fish likely also began at this time as a hobby of the city’s wealthy.

Trade and transport was important enough for this proto-city that considerable effort was put into clearing trackways across large distances - the first substantial roads built anywhere in the world - making it easier for porters to carry goods to and from the eastern coast and the northern border. Nonetheless, it seems that food shortages continued to be an issue for the population.

Spoiler Deqline Culture - Terrance :

Hunting was a success, but can now only feed part of the population
Basic lamellar armour was made for hunters on the frontiers. It saved many lives but also reduced mobility slightly.
Retaliatory raids were pushed back by Toltec warriors and fierce Alicorn, achieving little result
Feral goats were semi-re-domesticated
Gold-bearing ore was discovered, gold ornaments begin to be made and traded on a small scale

Leadership - government improved (council)

Kedukaln immigrants arrived and integrated.

There is a food shortage (more effort needed to gather, or steal, food).

LP: 1
AP: 5/8 (food shortage -, adequately motivated =, trade +, injured -, maintenance -2AP)
Faith level: 1.25 (Deqlides Mysticism)
Government level: 1.5 (tribal council)
Unity: 70%


Spoiler Toltec culture - Aiken_Drumn :

Waterways are partly cleaned up and fish are encouraged, cutting down on insects and disease.
Basic trackways are built, connecting the coast and the north, making it easier to travel.
slightly-more-seaworthy boats are built.
Warriors are armed with improved stone spearpoints and bows.

There is a concerted effort to colonise the smoking island to the north. It proves to be a valuable location for trading with nearby peoples. The settlers prosper and grow rapidly, forming the Akoltec tribe as a separate tributary.

There is contact with the Alicorn, Vyrsa and Chappa Eih. The latter of which is by far the most cordial, and lucrative.

Warriors extract ‘tribute’ from Deqline traders. There are running skirmishes with groups of Deqline hunters.

Some sporadic illness continues in Tecnoclaen, but the town continues to grow into a city.

There is a lack of food as the population grows.

LP: 1
AP: 5/9 (food shortage -, adequately motivated =, trade +, tribute/loot +, injured/sick -, maintenance -4AP)
Military: 1 warrior
Faith level: 1 (Toltec Shamanism)
Government level: 1 (tribal confederation)
Unity: 60%


Spoiler Akoltec tribe - NPC :

Influenced by: Toltec culture (Aiken_Drumn)

Small but rapidly growing society of island traders and fisherpeople, with a taste for the finer things in life. Basic cultivation of grapes and wine production, which is traded overseas for copper, animal hides and pottery.


The Chappa Eih culture moved more fully into dependence on agriculture, with vast stretches of the Chappa flood plain now being cultivated for various edible cereals - some turned into bread, others into beer. Though lacking a single large settlement like Tecnoclaen, they had many large towns at this time, and the largest overall density of human settlement anywhere in the world. By the end of this era, the locals were making their own pottery - likely influenced by Oxlen imports - and exported valuable obsidian objects, though they lacked any substantial metal working of their own.

The centre of power was the stone temple complex known as Yovach - a religious and ritual site rather than a major population centre - which is where the high chieftain would communicate with the gods of the Chappa Eih pantheon. Yovach was continually expanded over the generations, with the main ritual platform being re-built and raised up many times until it began to form a kind of pyramid structure. The influence of Yovach was felt far across the region, and Sil-Eshal traders spread word of the great temple and the power of the Chappa Eih gods into the continental interior.

As an outflow for excess population and miscreants from Chappa, the western island of Marad was designated as a kind of penal colony, before growing into a semi-independent trading centre in its own right. Interestingly, the islanders began to carve giant stone heads, showing the spread of some Axti cultural ideas into the west.

Spoiler Chappa Eih culture - NPC :

1AP into great temple project
2AP into agriculture and primitive irrigation
2AP into housing
1AP into developing native pottery

LP - exile criminals/outlaws to island, use as overflow for some excess population

The remaining population has grown dangerously large nonetheless.


LP: 1
AP: 6/10 (adequate food =, well motivated +, trade +, sick/injured -, disunity -, maintenance -4AP)
Faith level: 1.75 (Chappa-Eih polytheism)
Government level: 1.5 (Holy Chieftain)
Unity: 50%


Spoiler Marad Zeihi tribe- NPC :

A minor tribe of exiles from Chappa Eih.

They have obsidian tools and pottery.

The people carve giant stone heads to appeal for good fortune from the divine forces of the world.


In the east of the continent, there was the beginning of a shared zone of cultural ideas, technology, lifestyles and religion across the Trasque, Sil-Eshal and Oxlen lands, which now spread from the icy north to the semi-tropical south. Trasque fetishist beliefs, revolving around the concept that certain physical objects could be imbued with spiritual powers, spread deep into Oxlen lands. It was a religion that encouraged artistry and craftsmanship, as communities competed to have the most beautiful and impressive totems or fetishes.

The Sil-Eshal peoples were essential to the growth of trade. They began domesticate the camels native to their region at this time, using them as pack animals to haul the increasing amount of luxury items that were traded amongst their neighbours - these animals soon became a feature amongst the Trasque proper. Sil-Eshal also dug wells throughout the arid lands of their region, which also served as ritual sites, and offered just enough water to keep man and camel going to the next stop.

It is notable however, that while fetishist beliefs spread east, the Sil-Eshal began to adopt parts of Chappa Eih religion from the west, as evidenced by certain stone carvings found in their ritual sites.

Around this time, gold ores were discovered in Sil-Eshal lands and traded north, where amongst the mountain valleys of the Trasque homelands they were crafted into ornamental objects of great value. The skills of Trasque copper-workers were readily adapted to working with this new metal. Later generations experimented with alloys of copper and gold, creating a metal that was slightly harder than copper alone, but was generally not used for tools or weapons due to its precious nature - the few gold-copper spearpoints and axes that have been found from this seem to be status symbols rather than practical objects. Mostly the new metals were used for ornaments, some of which ended up being traded as far as Tecnoclaen in the west.

In the east, the Oxlen developed their craft of pottery making, ensuring their pottery remained highly prized. The first examples of glazed pottery are known from this time, some finely decorated with golden threads. Some of these vessels also made all the way to Tecnoclaen, a sign of how valued they were as trade items.

The Oxlen population continued to grow, fuelled by cattle herding and cultivation of cereals including rice, as well as fishing along the rivers and coasts. Villages were expanded, and forests steadily cut back with back-breaking labour using stone tools. However, it seems it was not enough to avoid periods of starvation and bad harvests, fuelling unrest and discontent as the central leadership struggled to maintain authority over a growing population. Resentment or cultural disruption due to the growing Trasque influence may have contributed to this unrest.

In any case, there is evidence of a cycle of violence at this time, as rival dynasties of warrior-chieftains regularly fought each other for control, and periods of division into warring factions. There was yet to be a true warrior caste or any military in the true sense of the word, but rather it was hunters and farmers who took up arms against each other. By the end of this era, it seems a functional hierarchy had been re-established, along with eastern religious ideas, but the situation remained tense, with small bands of disaffected bandits or raiders roaming between villages.

It is from this period that we have the first clay tablets with any kind of proto-writing - it may have spurred by the need of the Oxlen elite to keep track of their growing domains and logistics, and to keep record of trade deals and agreements made with outsiders. Though not yet a true writing system, the first identifiable names of people and places are inscribed from this time, and some of these early clay tablets would prove to be surprisingly durable through the ages to come.

The Trasque, meanwhile, consolidated their influence over the Ured-Le adventurers in the north, who gradually lost their unique identity. The far north remained hardly populated, but the hardy hunters who lived there were able to trade exotic animal skins and ivory with the south.

Spoiler Trasque culture - Kyzarc :

Small Oxlen influence (Terrish)

Mountain sheep herds are replenished - new breed of sheep emerges that is more docile and produces more wool.
Copper working is developed slightly. Gold-copper alloying is later discovered.
Raucous-Cry-that-Kills-Mouse, and followers, travel to Oxlen lands and live there for a time, facilitating trade and spread of ideas.

Ured-Le are fully re-integrated into the Trasque culture.

The population expands; there is demand for housing/shelter, and food.

LP: 1
AP: 7/9 (food shortage -, adequately motivated =, trade +2AP, injured/sick -, maintenance -3AP)
Faith level: 1.25 (Sushunsil fetishist beliefs)
Government level: 1 (tribal council)
Unity: 70%


Spoiler Sil-Eshal tribe - NPC :

Influenced by: Trasque culture - Kyzarc

2AP camel domestication
2AP digging wells
Gold is discovered while digging.

LP - explorers / adventurers lead emmigration to the south-east

LP: 1
AP: 3/4 (adequate food =, trade +2AP ; corruption -, maintenance -2AP)
Faith level: 1 (Sushunsil fetishist - Chappa Eih polytheist syncretism)
Government level: 0.25 (fragmentary tribal council traditions)
Unity: 80%


Spoiler Oxlen culture - Terrish :

Moderate Trasuqe influence - Kyzarc
Glazed pottery invented
Housing expanded using timber.
Building of Totems for Sushunsil
Boats built using timber.
South coasts colonised
Some woodland cleared, fuelling construction of boats and houses.

Symbolic proto-writing invented.

Sushunsil Fetishist beliefs are more widely adopted.
Some Trasque peoples begin to settle in Oxlen lands.
Tribal wars as population expands - warrior chieftains manage to re-unite heartlands for now

Southern colonies split as Dhulen tribe, but continue to trade with the north.

Small numbers of Trasque immigrants are being accepted. You can chose to evict them, keep them or accept even more.

Housing is still crowded and people are hungry, diseases continue. Work would also be needed to expand the cattle herds or farmland.

LP: 1
AP: 6/9 (food shortage -, adequately motivated =, trade +2AP, sick/injured -, bandits/corruption -, maintenance -3AP)
Faith level: 1 (adopted Sushunsil Fetishist beliefs)
Government level: 1.5 (warrior chieftain-lawmakers)
Unity: 60%


The south-east peninsular, meanwhile, would became a meeting ground for the descendents of Trasque, Oxlen and Axti cultures. The Dhulen were essentially Oxlen colonists, arriving on primitive boats, who began to develop an independent identity during the unrest in their homelands. The Ettuna emerged as a second-generation offshoot of the Trasque, arriving by both land and sea, with a language that now shared only a few words with that spoken in Trasque heartlands. The Talati were similarly offshoots of the Axti culture to the south.

These groups of immigrants all arrived within a relatively short time frame, and there are signs of violent disputes between them over hunting and fishing rights. For the Talati in particular, sudden close contact with the northern cultures was likely a cause for culture shock. It seems inevitable that there would be growing conflicts over the coastal territory, even if much of the interior remained near-pimpassible bamboo forest, and nothing of particular value was yet to be found here for the continental traders.

Across the sea, on the large eastern island, stone tools have been found here that date to this time, suggesting visits by brave voyagers - or perhaps small, doomed bands of shipwrecked standees, too few in number to establish a viable population. In any case, there seems to have been no permanent settlements yet.

Spoiler Dhulen tribe - NPC :

Influenced by - Oxlen culture - Terrish

Minor mixed tribe of Oxlen colonists, trading with the motherland in the north.

The people occupy themselves with survival in a strange land.

They make pottery and fine stone tools.


Spoiler Ettuna tribe - NPC :

Influenced by: Trasque culture (Kyzarc), Oxlen culture(Terrish)

A minor tribe that is a secondary offshoot of Trasque culture. Has close contact with Oxlen-Dhulen peoples.

The peoples are concerned with survival in a strange land. They have copper and fine stone tools.


Spoiler Talati tribe - NPC :

Influenced by: Axti culture (LordArgon)

A minor tribe that is an offshoot of the Axti.

The peoples are concerned with survival in a strange land. They have fine stone tools and axes.


The Axti culture shows some similarity to that of the Oxlen at this time, going through phases of in-fighting as the population grew too big to be reliably fed, or too big to be reliably governed by the proto-theocracy. Periods of inter-tribal warfare saw several settlements abandoned to the forest, and even some of the ancient stone guardian heads toppled and buried for posterity. It was during this time that the Talati emerged as a splinter-group and migrated east

This was hardly the end for the culture however, as a more peaceful settlement seems to have been reached after generations of fighting and population decline. By the end of this era, many settlements were repaired and expanded, and the tradition of carving giant stone guardian-heads actually increased substantially, seemingly done to out-compete the Omriti in the west.

The Omriti also seem to have suffered some unrest and disruption, which may have been related to increasing contacts with the populous Chappa Eih culture to the north, and there was likely increasing conflict over hunting and foraging rights south of the Chappa river mouth.

Axti seafarers, meanwhile, are believed to have reached the shores of the Ohpauh Eh continent at this time, having the first contacts with its mysterious inhabitants…

Spoiler Axti culture - LordArgon :

Fishing increased
Small amount of forest cleared for wood
Village expansion to the north-east
Large stone monument built

LP - tradition of stone carving, tied to meetings and concord between tribes

The population grew, still not enough food could be found from fishing, hunting and gathering.

There was a period of unrest and abandonment of outlying villages. People moved to Omriti while the offshoot, Talati broke off to form a seperate tribe.

Unity increased with the now-lower population.

LP: 1
AP: 5/7 (adequate food =, well motivated +; injured/sick -, maintenance -2AP)
Faith level: 2 (Axti mysticism - stone guardian worship)
Government level: 1 (tribal council / basic theocracy)
Unity: 70%



Spoiler Omriti tribe- NPC :

Influenced by - Axti culture - LordAragorn

LP: 1
AP: 2/4 (adequate food =, trade =, culture shock -, injured/sick -)
Faith level: 1 (Axtli-Chappa Eih syncretic religion)
Government level: 0.5 (tribal council)
Unity: 70%


The story of the Ophauh Eh at this time is marked by their complex relationship with the giant terror-birds that stalked their continent, inspiring both fear and awe. It is believed these giants now shifted their nesting patterns and their behaviour, choosing to nest in the east of the continent and prey upon the Puah raised by humans in this more-fertile terrain, as well as it seems the humans themselves.

Though the Ophuah Eh were no doubt forced to defend themselves with an increasing array of complex fire-hardened, pike-like weapons, it also seems to have been somewhat taboo to harm these divine animals. It seems that several village sites were simply abandoned, with inhabitants seeking new lives further away from danger. The largest settlement at this time was in fact a fortified cliff-village built into the entrance of a large cave found in the west of tte continent, surrounded by narrow passages and offering protection from the giant terror-bird attacks.

Meanwhile, the combined population of humans, and their increasingly-domesticated flocks of Puah, had likely reached the maximum carrying capacity that was possible on this continent without any substantial form of agriculture. It was likely that it was a hungry tribe searching for shellfish on the northern shores that met with Axti seafarers for the first this time - voyagers blown off course by tropical storms. Evidence of these contacts is limited to garbled myths and a few scattered artefacts, but it seems that at least some of these encounters turned violent, with the Axti being speared and survivors chased back to their boats.

For the Axti, it was likely not obvious that they had found a large landmass, but rather a strange island with towering cliffs, fierce natives and monstrous beasts.

Spoiler Ohpauh Eh culture - JAM :

Spear/pike weapons developed slightly. They were useful in saving lives vs giant terror bird attacks.
2AP - sourcing food for Puah
- effort is put into feeding Puah at the expense of humans. Ultimately, some Puah have to be slaughtered for meat.
Puah riding/domestication progressed, with more sturdy breeds appearing.
Genetic mutation - breed of white Puah appears. They are more delicate but feathers are prized for clothing and decoration.
Western cave site expanded. (fortified cave village)

Giant terror birds now have nesting sites and their main population in the east. Humans abandoned several villages and re-settled further away.

Water-bearing trees continued to decline due to neglect, human over-use and gnawing by animals.

Driven by hunger, some tribes experiment with fishing along the coasts.

Sporadic contacts are made with Axti boat-peoples in the north. Some of these turn violent.

LP - leadership challenge of surviving alone in harsh terrain (survivalism traits).

LP: 1
AP: 3/8 (starvation -1AP, adequately motivated =; injured/displaced -1AP, maintenance -3AP)
Faith level: 1 (Divine Guide worship)
Government level: 2 (community leadership / leadership challenges)
Unity: 80%


Notes

Introduced a ‘Unity’ stat. It’s basically the chance that there *won’t* be any kind of unrest, disobedience or separatism next turn. It can be considered a mix of government effectiveness / power, loyalty, and general happiness.

The AP boost from morale is now weighted by population - larger, more-settled populations will need a more developed religion to get the same AP boost. To develop a religion further, you can spend your leadership points and/or build religious monuments of some kind.

Fixed LordArgon's name in the stats - apologies!

A request for info: do you have any names for geographical regions on the map? Any names for significant settlements?

Also, I am curious about burial / funeral practices your people may (or may not) have, as it would be fun to work some details into the updates.

Many thanks for your patience.

:salute:
 

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Orders deadline - 23:59pm UK time, Saturday 2nd July

I will try to get it back to Friday deadline, Sunday posting update! Wanted to add a bit of time this week as the update was late.

Please do let me know of any derps or grievances with the update.

:salute:
 
The Alicorn Tribe -

3 AP
1 AP) The pressures of population increase our needs - the forests near the hill-cities are slowly being pushed back and cut, allowing for more room for agriculture and pastoralism, while at the same time diminishing the habitats of the dangerous predators.
1 AP) Children born within an Alicorn tribe are born Alicorn, even if their parents were slaves or prisoners - This means that, over time, myths and stories from the neighbors are integrated into the greater Alicorn Mythos. To help bind the various settlements of the tribes together, the Alicorn develop a tradition of meeting yearly in a great gathering, with the cheiftans and shamans deliberating on the happenings of the past year, and making decisions about the future of the tribes.
1 AP) The Alicorn have begun to make clothes from the hides of the Cattle they raise. Protective both against wind and against weapon, the leather they wear keep them safe.

1 LP) The raids into the neighboring lands continue - they have what we need, and our mythos tells us that it is only right that we take from those who will not give.


Edit: The Dead are generally laid to rest in catacombs and barrows under the cities.
 
@Aiken_Drumn

Hear me, Toltec. I am a Speaker for the Deqline. Your warriors have proven to be disorderly in their conduct, and sought to impose themselves upon our border tribes. This is not a state that can be allowed to continue.

I share with you, free of charge, three options we see to further the purpose of peace and trade. Let the Spirits see that we came in good faith, and in all hopes of resolving our differences.

1) Let your warriors face a worthy foe. We will gladly construct dwellings and feed them, if they were to help push away the Ghost Peoples of the northern forests. If they were to be merely guards, we would gladly continue any arrangements currently in place.

2) Let your warriors face justice. Greed and foolishness can be poisonous to peace. Both your offending warriors and our hot headed hunters would face the same punishment - be it sent to the island of pottery, or to dig ditches, or whatever we may come to agree.

3) Let your warriors face nothing. We will withdraw from the immediate borderland, and let game replenish there, and from there feed both our hunters when they wander unto our new territories. Merchants risk what they will, although the sea oft proven a fairer tradesman. However, if your warriors advance into this shared Game-Land it will be considered War.

What do you say, Toltecs?
 
Trasque Turn 5
The Skypeople of Trasque turn outwards

Action 1+2: The goatherds of Trasque are beginning to reach the limit of how big they can get from the coarse grasses of the highlands. While the goats are willing to eat pretty much anything when hungry enough, their tenders notice they prefer certain scrubby grasses with small purple flowers. An enterprising goatherd named Lonesome-Vigil-Over-Frozen-Lakes, after a particularly nasty set of winters greatly reduced his herd, decided to try spreading the seeds of this plant across half his range and endeavored to keep the goats from it. After a couple years of careful cultivation, during which his herd slowly recovered, he'd managed to largely eliminate other grasses over his valley. His clan (Ettin-en-Cern), seeing a marked improvement in their herds from this, begin attempting to clear fields specifically for the purpose of growing this grass, Al-cerna (lit. Purple Leaf), to make it possible to feed larger herds from limited growing space
Action 3+4: The crafters of Ettin-en-Shid continue to hold prominence, but their preeminence over the other clans starts coming into question as trade to the south grows and status symbols that they cannot create are introduced (glazed pottery amongst others). The chief upstart are the Ettin-en-Sishin (lit. People of the Sun), the southernmost of the Trakkan clans, whose dyes and paints are unique among the high mountains. This sparks an increase in competition amongst the clans. The primary way this shows itself is the endless search for new materials to create interesting jewelry and fetishes from. The alloy of croppah and gold has only confirmed that many such combinations must be possible, if only the correct rocks were found.
Action 5+6: The other way this sense of competition manifests is a dramatic increase in the number and intricacy of the fetishes made. On the high peak of Eshalque (lit. tallest earth), which is covered in ice year-round, twelve foot tall sculptures of ice are carved which are draped in croppah chains and embedded with pieces of ruby and obsidian. In the deep caves of the Ettin-en-Shid a chamber is set aside where thin croppah wires are strung, from which precious gems and leopard hides hang. Dozens of others are scattered around, with each clan trying to outdo the rest in their veneration of their protector spirit.
Action 7: The huts of the goatherds expand into proper villages, each with fetishes set up to protect them.

Leadership 1: Rockfall-in-Large-Valley, the chief crafter of the Ettin-en-Shid and claimed descendant of Light-Tells-Tales, recognizes that continual escalation of competition could lead to serious problems, especially light of the increasing lack of space in the valleys. She quietly advocates amongst the crafters of the other clans that they encourage their hunters to wander further afield, particularly in the unexplored lands to the east and west where terrible monsters still dwell. If they return with great trophies and speak of fertile, empty lands then the clans can expand into them (and gain prestige in the eyes of their fellows).

Burial Customs: Bodies are left out on mountain peaks for a full year, then any remaining flesh is burned from the bones and they're stored in each clan's deepest cave. The soul of the dead is believed to usually be reborn as a goat, though the souls of especially prominent hunters are instead reborn as eagles.

Geographic regions:
Eshalque (Tallest Earth): the tallest mountain in the world (according to the Trakkans), home to the Ettin-en-Ured clan.
Eshal-Una-Masque (Earth over Corruption): an isolated valley that the Trakkan people avoid as people who live there for a long time get sick and die and goats are born malformed.
Cernashal (Earth Flower): the most populated set of valleys in the mountains, they're composed of five basins that meet in the center, with a long, narrow valley that winds its way out to the south. Its named such as when viewed from the top of Eshalque the basins look like the petals of a flower.
Cropured (Shining Ice): a large glacier that dominates the colder northern slopes of the Trakkan mountains. People who wander it unprepared have gone snow-blind from its brilliance
Sishinsuch (Sun Eye): a brilliant yellow plain separating the foothills from the Trakkan mountains proper, whose exposure and lack of rain make it viewed as rather unpleasant, though the goatherds seem fine with it.

Significant settlements: The most prominent settlements share most of their name with their clan, with secondary settlements named after features of the area.
Ronshid (lit. Village of Obsidian), the sprawling primary village of the Ettin-en-Shid, and Ronsishin (Village of the Sun) are the two most prominent villages, being the centers of the two most prestigious clans. Other villages are Ronpath (a hard off clan that spends an exceptional amount of effort trying to appease the spirits who seem to hate it), Ronpah (a clan whose prestige largely comes from their pottery, but the introduction of glazed pottery from the south has seriously undercut them), Ronsid (a rival crafting clan to the Ettin-en-Shid that never had the same access to Croppah and instead focuses on perfecting its flint and obsidian knapping), Roncern (the clan of Lonesome Vigil, their goats are considered of a superior quality of late), the Ronured (high mountain people, considered somewhat isolationist and weird), and the Ronshan (a long-standing friend to both the Ettin-en-Shid and the Ettin-in-Sid, with many famous hunters)
 
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Jesus you weren't kidding about population space :D My island is completely covered in people sprites.

I have a vague idea of where to go next. Can't wait!
 
Right, as I'm not 100% sure I will have time to flesh this out by the deadline, I'll post the core elements of my orders, and edit the post to expand them lore-wise as I can.

AP spending:
1: "One of the most notable facts about this era is that some of the earliest monuments can be dated back to it. Take 'The rest of the mother buffalo' in Sushmanalkal."
" 'The rest of the mother buffalo' was carved from a single bolder over the course of a decade. Shaped into the form of a buffalo curled sleeping upon the ground, It is surprisingly detailed despite being the size of a large house. The head is extremely accurate despite its size, and has no sharp angles except for the tips of its horns. The entire body was said to have been carved to look like it had fur with smaller animals (relative to the size of the statue) also sleeping hiding within the fur. While most of these have been weathered away over the centuries, a few are still quite apparent in some of the more sheltered areas. "
"Perhaps the most tragic fact about 'The rest of the mother buffalo' is that it cracked in half several centuries ago. While the front half is still quite accessible and protected from the river by a levee, the rear half is not currently recoverable. Shortly after the two pieces separated, the rear half started sliding towards the sea, and currently resided somewhere in the middle of the river's mouth, with all but the top most portion covered in mud. Under thirty feet of water and with a further fifteen feet of mud to remove, Cost to recover and move it to dry land is over a hundred million in construction cost, and costing billions in lost trade as the effort would shut down all major river traffic over the years of work that would be needed."
Spoiler AP1 :

1: Start construction of giant Buffalo Statue-totem. Early wonder, the size of a large house, carved from a single bolder at the center of the settlement at the mouth of the river. It's a curled up Buffalo sleeping on the ground. Smaller carvings and imaged of animals of all types cover the main body. A large portion of them are goats


2: Shortly before the conflicts started, there were were rumors of strange rocks found in the northern forest, and efforts to hire some Trasque copper workers to take a look at them. Apparently some were hiered, and shortly after Poloxsushkral ended the conflict they presented what they found to him

Spoiler AP2 :
2: Investigate the shiny rocks on our tile.

Strangely, the Oxlen practice of soaking oneself in warm herbal water to cleans oneself of sickness likely arose during this period of conflict. According to the legends, It was a merchant who first started the practice. He had taken to the habit of swimming trading on the southern sea, but found the water of the northern settlements too cold to do so. So he built a giant pot that he could heat up, so at the very least he could immerse himself in water, and added some herbs to make the water smell good. When it seemed to invigorate him with energy, he began to do it regularly, and the soon others in the northern settlement were paying him to soak in his giant pot.
Spoiler AP3 :
3: Development of bathhouses as a central element of the tribe's villages. Goal is to promote basic hygiene and keep people from getting as sick as much.

Another development overshadowed in this era by the conflicts was the solidification of the Oxlen's written language, perhaps one of the reason we have such accurate records of the era despite their near collapse. Know now Coxlen, there were initially letters 23, each composed of 2 or 3 lines that could be quickly pressed into the clay with the tap of a line pen. It's quite evident that it was designed for those in management to get around the limitation of the clay tablets that it was used upon. Allowing skilled users to record nearly as fast as we can write on paper today, and to quickly smooth out mistakes or make changes with the flat ends of their line pens. Traits that would remain until it vanished as an active written language centuries later, where despite having ballooned to over 60 letters with as many as 5 lines, a skilled user could still record things just as quickly.
Perhaps its development was why the Oxlen culture stayed so intact despite fracturing in such a violent manner. Perhaps even then their bureaucratic class was beginning to form then, sharing information and building connection between the groups, even while the hunters and Pol fought each other.

Spoiler AP4 :
4: Further development of writing.

The Polnar (herd wall) first appeared in this era, as a direct response to the ongoing internal conflict. The first of them were recruted in Sushmanalkal by Poloxsushkral, to server as the core of his efforts to reunite the Oxlen. They were know for their large leather shields and finely crafted armor, they were extensivly trained to work with each other and to move as a group.

Spoiler AP 5-6 :
Creation of an army with improved armor. If I can not make improved armor, make 2 warriors.

To be expanded
Spoiler LP :

LP:
Tribe fragments under internal pressure, splintering into up to a dozen tribes. Each centered on a settlement, or around a major nomadic group. Open conflict between some groups, though some level of interconnection is maintained through the traders and storage managers serving under the chiefs. Lots of deaths due to chaos and combat, and lack of great hunts due to said conflicts. Population spreads out over more of the hex due to being driven away from the more densely populated areas?
Great Warrior-leader arrives at a settlement at the mouth of the river. Buffalo statue-totem started to give him Blessing of spirits. Proper warriors, titled the Polnar are recruited, trained, and equipped with the finest armor the Oxlen can make or buy from traders.
Proceeds to go on a spree to reconquer the other formerly oxlen tribes. Assumes direct control of those closest to the river mouth. Those further away he starts grouping together and handing over control to those Polnar who he trusts the most, to rule in his name.
Ends up creating a confederacy of simi-indpendent groups(confederacy of Oxlen?), who's leaders serve as a council to lead all the groups. But effectively has all the power since he installed all the leaders of the other groups, and chose them based on their loyalty to him. Also has the only real military group to start out with.
Basically, break the tribe, then reconquer it into a more decentralized power structure, but with a stronger central core power.


non-action: No official stance on Trasque imigrants. Though the conflict might deter them from moving into the area, it will also thin the population and make room for them.

Burial customs: Quit similar to the Trasque, though adapted to local conditions and the lack of a high mountain peaks. Bodies are immediately burned on wood pyre's, until only the bones remain, which are then stored out in the open until a rainfall comes to wash away any ash from them. They are then placed in a pot to be stored in a cave, or a specifically built a building for them until they can be transported to such a cave. Some of the more well of traders and leadership often arrange for a trader to take their bones to a mountain cave before their deaths.
The souls of the dead are believed to be reborn into a Buffalo, who is then reborn into a human after their death. The souls of those of note (great hunters, leaders, and others who did great deeds) are reborn as eagles, though near the end of the era some have started to believe that great warriors are reborn into Mighty elephants.

Settlement names:
the river is named Sushma
The largest settlement is Sushmanalkal, situated at the mouth of the river. 1.5 to 2 times bigger than any other settlement. translation is basically (rivers name) (river) (settlement)
Settlement names tend to be descriptive of where
One major settlement at a major ford to the south shore (Sushma-For(ford)-Kal). One major settlement on the river in the north, near a ford leading to a pass into the mountains to the east(Sushma-Tras(Trasque)-Kal). One major settlement at some of the most fertile farmland (Sushma-Oat(oat)-Kal). Smaller settlements on the river follow similar naming practices.
Inland settlements are a bit more varied, perhaps being named with that of a local stream. Or named after who established the settlement. They also tend to be smaller than the river settlements, with perhaps 2-3 exceptions. A lot exist to server the groups following and tending to the herd.
Herd groups are named whatever those managing them want them to be. Quite a few don't last more than a generation.
 
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Spoiler Update 4 :
Hunting was a success, but can now only feed part of the population
Basic lamellar armour was made for hunters on the frontiers. It saved many lives but also reduced mobility slightly.
Retaliatory raids were pushed back by Toltec warriors and fierce Alicorn, achieving little result
Feral goats were semi-re-domesticated
Gold-bearing ore was discovered, gold ornaments begin to be made and traded on a small scale

Leadership - government improved (council)

Kedukaln immigrants arrived and integrated.

There is a food shortage (more effort needed to gather, or steal, food).

LP: 1
AP: 5/8 (food shortage -, adequately motivated =, trade +, injured -, maintenance -2AP)
Faith level: 1.25 (Deqlides Mysticism)
Government level: 1.5 (tribal council)
Unity: 70%


Deqlaris Confederacy Turn 5
Terrance888


The dangers surrounding the Deqline finally proved to be too much for the loose cooperation of their great councils initial meager attempts at diplomacy. An ancient confederacy is founded, its origins carved into stone commemorating the event. Tribes now cooperate more often than merely during the great festivals or great hunts, with a goal greater than merely surviving and enjoying life. No, they aim to thrive.

Diplomacy - Agreement of Guards

Carved into stone, the Toltec Warriors agree to guard the northern frontier of the Delqaris instead of the lucrative trade routes between the Toltecs and the Deqlaris. In exchange, the Deqlaris would formalize the current tributes the Warriors have been seizing, although they will make efforts to ensure these tributes do not increase in size.

It is said that Speaker Nelati lead the negotiations, and made the first Delqaris style carving of the occasion.

Although the Warriors shall be granted food and shelter as guests, and treated with respect as long as they treat us with respect. If any wish to start families with Delqaris, or bring home a Delqaris spouse, they may do so. We will also make sure supply routes from their home is not molested, and hopefully it will develop into proper trade routes. Conversely, rudeness and tribute taking is frowned upon, and may lead to withholding of supplies until they correct behavior of the wrongdoer.

Additionally, the Delqaris would begin a tradition of gifting guards rotating into service small golden sigils, as a promise of support and hope for good relations.

Although some whisper that giving up our own defense is tantamount to surrender without a real fight, the Deqlaris leaders claim that it is merely pragmatic - those who sup on war face each other, while the Deqlaris focus on what they are good at - thriving.

Leadership - Carving the Future into Stone - Stoneworking and Runemaking

The Deqlaris Confederacy is separated by the earlier Deqline Culture less by it's new government, and more by the adoption of Yrondyr style Stones and Alicorn Runes. However, instead of illustrating the great spirits or commemorating ancient myths, the Deqlaris approached them with pragmatism - they are to set into stone the business, agreements, and prophecies of the day.

Under the auspices of the Mystics, the Great Council would commission the erection of a great carving, and workers from every tribe would assemble to carve, drag, and rise the structure.

The topic of each structure is inevitably focused on the future, although one could always look back upon them to find a record of the past, or at least the intent of the past. Of course, it is the Mystics who retain the correct interpretations of the many pictographs that festoon these structures.

One of the first monoliths commemorates the great Agreement with the Toltecs.

(Goal is to boost writing and stoneworking, might boost religion or government)

Action 1/5 - Domesticate and Expand Goats

Another difference is the terminal decline in Great Hunts as a communal activity (replaced, somewhat, by the rising of new monoliths). Greater domestication of goats, and their spread, gives them a safer, more reliable food source. The Wolf-dogs help with herding them across the plains.

Action 2/5- Master Goldworking and other Shiny Rocks

Interest in gold grew, especially for trade to the aristocrats of the Toltec. If these things that can't be eaten can be traded for food, then that is a trade well made. They are also sometimes made as gifts for the Toltec Warriors or foreign Merchants, or as Mystic ritual items.

Action 3/5- Adopt the Seaborne Settlers and Practice Shipbuilding

The Sea Peoples are encouraged to not give up their traditional works, to continue building their ships especially facing the eastward seas. Notably, if there are any who wish to raft across the waters into Alicorn land, chopping down their trees (and make it out alive), they're welcome to try!

Action 4/5- Fishing and Trading by the Waters

In addition to shipbuilding, they're also encouraged to pick up fishing and trading. On the eastern seas, the quiet Vyrsa look like prime candidates to trade goods for food (or possibly, settle a trading post). The Akoltec are also good trading partners, possibly good to influence culturely too.

Action 5/5- Toolmaking

With all this labor and crafting, the Deqlaris also produce some fine tools, for carving stone, shaping gold, splitting wood and shearing sheep.

Other Notes:
- Expensive vases from the east can be used to store wine
- The policy of armor for hunters on the frontiers continue
- Hunting continues, just in specific zones designated by the council. Sorta like a more formal fallow/sowing situation.

Decorations -
Previous - Wolf fang necklaces, wood ash markings, fur cloaks and armor (less popular), decorated tents, grape leaf skirts (less popular)

New - grape leaf motifs, especially grapevine gold rings;


Words -
Uwuca: Wolves
Tila: Grapes/Berries
Tileen: Grape Juice/Grape Bunches
Effica: Creation/Crafting, especially of tools or weapons
Cunen: Speaker
Nish: Hide Tent
Ven: Ditch
Tilaveen: Grape-Ditch, or specifically a valley with noticeably bountiful harvests
Tilish: Grape-tent, or specifically those constructed by the mystics
Leveen: River
Eleveen: Sea
Eleveesh: Coast, lit. "Sea Cover"

Geography
Vei: Eastern Coast
Tor: Western Coast
 
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@Aiken_Drumn

Hear me, Toltec. I am a Speaker for the Deqline. Your warriors have proven to be disorderly in their conduct, and sought to impose themselves upon our border tribes. This is not a state that can be allowed to continue.

I share with you, free of charge, three options we see to further the purpose of peace and trade. Let the Spirits see that we came in good faith, and in all hopes of resolving our differences.

1) Let your warriors face a worthy foe. We will gladly construct dwellings and feed them, if they were to help push away the Ghost Peoples of the northern forests. If they were to be merely guards, we would gladly continue any arrangements currently in place.

2) Let your warriors face justice. Greed and foolishness can be poisonous to peace. Both your offending warriors and our hot headed hunters would face the same punishment - be it sent to the island of pottery, or to dig ditches, or whatever we may come to agree.

3) Let your warriors face nothing. We will withdraw from the immediate borderland, and let game replenish there, and from there feed both our hunters when they wander unto our new territories. Merchants risk what they will, although the sea oft proven a fairer tradesman. However, if your warriors advance into this shared Game-Land it will be considered War.

What do you say, Toltecs?


We hear word of the Ghosts that terrorise your people. My warriors will push further North, that they might protect our trade and your people.
 
Toltec

LP: 1


All Road Lead to "Rome" Akoltec must not drift from Tecnoclaen, the glittering city. With improved roads, communication, and boats, as well as flourishing trade, a pilgrimage that each Toltec citizen must undertake once in their lives begins, lest their spirit be trapped on earth forever. They must travel to the Akoltec island and breath in the fumes on the side of the mountain. The visions seen during this ceremony help remind them of their ancestors who have gone before them, ensuring they will know the way in death.

AP: 5/9

1/5. The island of the Akoltec is scouted for interesting plants, minerals and animals that might be domesticated. They are taken back to Tecnoclaen. I see a pigmy pig? Shiny rocks!? Herbs? Mind altering fumes to huff!?
2/5. With trade flowing from many different states, great attempts are made to buy up and ship back different grains and domesticated animals that might help feed our great city.
3/5. Over great distances, how can we communicate? How can our leaders wishes be known? A method of intricately-knotted cords, called Khipu, to write our histories, send messages & keep records is developed.
4/5. Boats! We need to build better boats so that our pilgrims and traders might zip around the sea safely.
5/5. If we are still hungry, we shall turn to the seas around our smoking island. Harvest sea weed, fish and molluscs and smoke it next to the steaming vents, might it be transported along the trade routes, feeding our people.

Military: 1 warrior

Our Warriors push further North, policing the border for Ghost People. We expect they will be housed and fed well undertaking this dangerous job for the Deqlaris

Faith level: 1 (Toltec Shamanism)
Government level: 1 (tribal confederation)
Unity: 60%
Contact: Alicorn, Vyrsa and Chappa Eih. The latter of which is by far the most cordial, and lucrative.
 
(@Aiken_Drumn @Daftpanzer I want to clear this up before another turn of sporadic warfare starts.

Aiken’s unit already has maintenance tied into it. I’m paying partial AP due to tributes. I want to hold to that current status quo.

In this case would our high level orders lead to satisfactory on the ground performance? Because Aikens orders seem to imply both food and shelter being provided, whereas my orders imply satisfaction of existing tributary extraction with primary food and shelter provided by the Toltecs. (Edit: via built in maintenance)

If we were to contribute “a full AP for food and shelter” directly for the Warriors I’d like them to push into the Alicorn Hex and secure the woodland across the Southern River. )

(edit: for ease of update if a full AP need to bed spent I think I will just reduce maintenance. What’s at risk for me to pay half maintenance this turn?)
 
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